


Bright Shade

by SilentComfort



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, M/M, Nara OC - Freeform, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-14 04:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 120,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14128191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentComfort/pseuds/SilentComfort
Summary: "Curiosity killed the cat." Is something her father and friends would often tell her. But she just had to try everything out. At least they got used to it and helped pull her out of the messes she got herself in. She knew she was lucky to have such good friends, but lady luck could really help out during a mission or two... [OCxGenma]





	1. Quiet Summer

**Author's Note:**

> I will not repeat this every chapter, but just to add it in:
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I only own the OC; all the rest isn’t mine.
> 
> /AN\  
> Hey!  
> This fanfic will follow Nara Shizuka and her experiences during the Naruto series. I will try to slot her into the main series when I can but there will be a lot of “new” stuff. And I might just change a thing here or there if I can.
> 
> I’ll comment on any specific warning when it becomes relevant. And I will add tags as they become relevant.
> 
> If you spot mistakes, please let me know, English isn’t my first language and there are bound to be mistakes somewhere.
> 
> Any questions, requests or comments are welcome. So, for now, I hope you enjoy the story! Also, here is the poll link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And enjoy,
> 
> SC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\
> 
> Hey!
> 
> This fanfic will follow Nara Shizuka and her experiences during the Naruto series. I will try to slot her into the main series when I can but there will be a lot of "new" stuff. And I might just change a thing here or there if I can.
> 
> The rating T is mainly for future chapters, and I'll comment on any specific warning when it becomes relevant.
> 
> If you spot mistakes, please let me know, English isn't my first language and there are bound to be mistakes somewhere.
> 
> Any questions, requests or comments are welcome. So, for now, I hope you enjoy the story! Also, I will create a poll before the next chapter about the pairing for this fic.
> 
> Thanks! And enjoy,
> 
> xx
> 
> SC
> 
> I will not repeat this every chapter, but just to add it in:
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I only own the OC; all the rest isn't mine.

 "Speaking."

 **Jutsus**  – I don't know all the names and translations, so I might just write it in English if I do know the proper name I will write the translation in brackets

 

* * *

 

Nara Shikaku was considered many things. A lazy genius was a common description, but he was also considered a force to be reckoned with out in the field. He enjoyed his downtime, no doubt, simply laying under the lone tree that stood between his house and the Nara forest. However, he loathed being unable to help.

 

The end of summer was nearing, and the Third Shinobi war was raging. His comrades were out fighting for their country. He was sitting beside his sleeping wife in her hospital room, a scroll in his hands and his thoughts drifting elsewhere instead of the report he should have been writing.

 

He had just arrived from a mission when he was informed his wife had gone into labour and that he should go to the hospital to be with her. By the time he arrived his wife had already been asleep, and he had immediately called for the medic for information.

 

His daughter apparently decided to arrive a month early and thus made him miss her arrival by mere hours. Shikaku pinched the bridge of his nose, Yoshino was going to be pissed that he missed it.

 

He was pulled out of his musings by a soft knock on the door, Chōza opening it just enough to glance inside.

 

"Just a minute." Shikaku stood from his seat, rolling up the scroll and placing it on the bedside table. He walked out of the quiet room, shutting the door silently behind him.

 

"How are they?" Chōza asked as he and Inoichi leaned against the wall opposite of the door.

 

"Healthy." Shikaku sighed, tilting his head in a gesture to make them follow him. "Yoshino arrived early this morning at the hospital and the babe was born just an hour before we arrived."

 

"Yoshino will be so annoyed." Inoichi stated gleefully, causing Chōza to snort and Shikaku to let out a grumble.

 

"To be fair, your little girl was a bit early. I'm sure she won't hold it against you." Chōza pats his shoulder before they stopped in front of a window looking into the hospital's nursery.

 

There were several empty bassinets reflecting that they were after all still in the middle of a war. The three Jōnin peered into the room, eyes searching for the baby swaddled in a blanket with the Nara symbol.

 

"Nara Shizuka" Shikaku said pointing her out to the other two, a small smile playing on his lips.

 

"Akira and Miku will come later this evening to see Yoshino and the baby." Inoichi glanced at his comrade who still gazed at his daughter. "And us three will go get a drink."

 

"Yoshino- "

 

"Will have our wives for company. And we need to celebrate you becoming a father before we are sent out on another mission." Inoichi insisted, giving his friend a pat on his shoulder. "Now the Hokage has given you two weeks, but that isn't guaranteed since all Jōnin are on call."

 

"And Inoichi and I already have a mission lined up in four days. I believe your brother will be going with us as you are on leave." Chōza took a step back from the window as the three turned to walk back to Yoshino's room.

 

"Until later then." Shikaku waved as his friends left the hospital and continued on his way to his wife's bedside.

 

Shikaku relaxed into the chair with eyes closed. During war moments of quiet were rare, and moments in which a vision of peace became vivid were even rarer. As he waited for his wife to awaken he indulged himself in imagining his daughter growing up.

 

* * *

 

Shizuka was a Nara through and through. With her father's dark hair and brown eyes and nose, the father-daughter duo was often found napping together under the shade of a tree when he was off duty. Like most Naras, she was observant and clever, recognizing patterns from a young age.

 

Luckily for Shikaku, she was a quiet child who stayed out of trouble. For the most part. Her curiosity often led her into problematic situations, like reaching out to the shadows moving wildly when two Naras were practising and thus getting stuck. At least she was a quick learner and didn't make the same mistake twice, especially not after a scolding from her mother.

 

Not so fortunately, the quick learning and curiosity gathered a lot of attention that Shikaku did not want on his daughter. He tried to protect her as much as he could from the consequences of war and the scouts searching for little prodigies to train.

 

Although he did not wish for her to make genin anytime soon, and hopefully not before the end of this war, it did not stop him from getting her a retired Nara clan member to start her on regular lessons as soon as she was old enough. He had only started her on physical training a couple months after she turned six.

 

He was immensely relieved as the war dwindled down and victory hovered just out of reach. The arrival of her little brother, Shikamaru, brought out a bubblier personality from his daughter, much to the amusement of the rest of the clan.

 

Despite his daughter having the usual Nara temperament, she had that spark of curiosity that just pushed her to be more active and more dedicated than other kids in the clan. In the end, Shikaku knew he couldn't keep her from entering the academy nor could he keep her from advancing through her classes.

 

* * *

 

 

Shizuka enjoyed the academy. At least the part where she learned new things, but she didn't care for anything else.

 

She was the type of child that grew bored easily and even though her teachers placed her in more advanced classes whenever possible, she still found herself taking naps in some classes.

 

She knew her father didn't necessarily want her to graduate early and so she kept her grades high enough to be in the top of her class but not high enough to bring attention to herself.

 

Not that it worked so well.

 

From the very first day, her file stated she had above average intelligence and that she was a powerful sensor. Courtesy of her near fainting during the welcoming ceremony for the academy when she was seven.

 

The overwhelming amount of chakra signatures in the relatively small space was a bit too much for her and had caused her to stumble and clutch her head in pain. Her father had knelt down, a concerned expression on his face, but she could barely concentrate.

 

Sure, she had walked through the village and often played with children her age and also being constantly surrounded by her clan members. However, the theory stood that the number of strangers present, most of them adults, had brought on the lightheadedness. It had been too much chakra for her to handle at once.

 

Another thing that she did not particularly enjoy about the academy was the students. The younger kids didn't have the same mentality as she did, and she was often annoyed at some of the questions they asked. While she knew it wasn't their fault, she couldn't help but isolate herself from them.

 

Meanwhile, the older students often teased her for being so short and frequently called her lazy. Not that she minded that either. Her uncle Daichi often said she'd be perfect for infiltration and recon missions as she was small, quick and quiet.

 

She supposed it couldn't be helped, and instead turned her solitude into practice. She would observe her comrades, noting everything she could from a distance. Friendships, rivalries, strengths, weaknesses, habits and so on. She figured it would come in handy when she was assigned a team when she graduated.

 

She was brought out of her thoughts by Jun-sensei tapping on her desk, informing her it was time to go home.

 

"Sorry, Jun-sensei, I was distracted." She sheepishly tucked a strand that had fallen out from her braid behind her ear.

 

"It's not like you don't already know the properties of these plants." The woman shook her head and followed her student out the of the classroom. "But I do believe you will be better off paying attention tomorrow when I go over identifying poisons and antidotes."

 

"I'll be sure to stay awake, Jun-sensei!" She looked up to her teacher with a wide grin before spotting her mother and little brother standing just outside of the academy. "See you tomorrow!"

 

She quickly ran to her mother and brother and walking with them towards the market, talking animatedly about her day.

 

While Shizuka did get bored in a class or two, the fact that the graduation exam was just within her grasp gave her the energy she needed to push through those last few months of dull classes.

 

* * *

 

Shikaku knew she was bound to graduate early and so a few months later, just two weeks after her birthday, he was not surprised to see a new leaf headband tied securely to her head.

 

As he had promised her years before, the family went out to dinner at one of the Akimichi barbecue restaurants they often frequented. They ended up inviting Inoichi's and Chōza's families as well for the small celebration.

 

"To the newest Konoha genin!" The adults chimed, raising their glasses, snorting as the girl blushed tomato red before mumbling a thank you. For the entirety of dinner, the adults talked amongst themselves and the children all asked Shizuka what the graduation test was like.

 

On the way home, the family walked silently in the cool breezes of autumn. The two youngest Naras a couple of steps ahead of their parents.

 

"To-san, do you know who my team is? I didn't stay long enough to see who graduated." She looked back, matching her pace to her father's.

 

"I might. But you'll find out tomorrow." Shikaku smiled at his daughter's narrowed eyes.

 

"Not even a hint?" Now it was his turn to narrow his eyes. He knew his daughter kept tabs on all her classmates and he wouldn't be surprised if she deduced one or two team members simply based on that information.

 

"Shikaku…" Yoshino warned as he thought about her request.

 

"You heard your mother, no hints."

 

"That isn't what she said." She grumbled, gaining a stern look from her mother and a shrug from her father.

 

As they got home, the children quickly got ready for bed and the adults walked to their room once sure they were fast asleep.

 

"So, who are they?" Yoshino asked curiously as she lay down after having changed. Shikaku raised an eyebrow but put the scroll he had been reading aside.

 

"Team 4: Akiyama Masaru and Hitotose Kaito under Hori Kouta." He chuckled, and his wife snorted.

 

"They all have season's in their name. Except for their sensei." Yoshino turned to face her husband. "What do you think? Aren't those the boys she complained about for most of last year?"

 

Shikaku hummed thinking on the choice of teammates for his daughter. Masaru was strong in genjutsu and a decent tracker, while Kaito was better at ninjutsu and taijutsu. Personality wise Masaru was often described as a bully by his daughter and Kaito as a bystander who rarely took initiative. Their sensei was someone he had worked with personally and knew was a master in weapons as well as ninjutsu. Despite his intense expectations, he was actually a rather well-liked Jōnin.

 

"It's a balanced team." He finally answered. "I don't know what they were thinking putting her with Masaru, they had several disagreements over the years and she often made a point of beating him in spars rather dramatically." Yoshino chuckled and closed her eyes.

 

"Be ready for her rants to increase. She will, after all, be seeing him more often than she probably did in the academy." Shikaku groaned and his wife chuckled again before turning over and turning off the lights.

 

Shizuka might have ended up on a team with people she didn't necessarily like, but Shikaku had a feeling that it would just kick-start a friendship to last the ages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited: 08/2018*
> 
> Thank you to my beta reader: Kaname84 for your help and advice!


	2. Team 4

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

Shizuka was not amused. She was currently sitting at her usual desk in the academy, her two new teammates also at their usual seats as far away from her as possible. Their new sensei was leaning against the desk at the front, peering at his students as if measuring them up.

 

Akiyama Masaru was a tall and thin boy with dark blue eyes, tan skin and curly golden-brown hair. An average student in the written part, decent taijutsu but weak ninjutsu and skilled at genjutsu. Popular amongst his peers, but had the reputation of a bully towards any student he deemed 'weaker'.

 

Hitotose Kaito was just slightly shorter than Masaru but was visibly stronger due to his preference for taijutsu and ninjutsu. He had straight light brown hair and honey coloured eyes. Average across all practical aspects, but the worst chakra control between the three of them. He was shy and rarely spoke up about anything in class unless directly asked.

 

She turned her attention to Hori Kouta, a tall man with broad shoulders, black hair and dark eyes. He had a scar through his right eyebrow and another running from his upper lip to his left cheekbone. He wore the standard Jōnin outfit and carried a katana strapped to his back.

 

"How about we introduce ourselves?" Kouta spoke as he moved to sit on the desk. "My name is Hori Kouta, I'm a weapons master but for long range, I lean towards ninjutsu. My hobbies are meeting with my friends and those books full of puzzles. I dislike threats to my comrades and needless fighting."

 

He paused sending a pointed look at them before calling her to join the others in the first row, then to Masaru who sat closest to him, indicating for him to go next.

 

"I'm Akiyama Masaru, my best grades are in genjutsu, I like friendly competition and training. I dislike annoying and lazy kids and people who put themselves above others."

 

Kouta nodded and turned to Shizuka as she made herself comfortable next to Kaito.

 

"I'm Nara Shizuka, my strengths are ninjutsu and strategy. I enjoy naps and proving people wrong. I dislike bullies and feeling bored."

 

She could feel the glare Masaru sent her way but ignored it and turned to pay attention to Kaito who awkwardly shifted in his seat between the two.

 

"I'm Hitotose Kaito, my best area is taijutsu and ninjutsu. I like reading and dislike being underestimated."

 

Shizuka raised her eyebrows at the last part. He was always the quiet type and being an average student all around made him fade into the background of the class. The reasons for him being underestimated were obvious, but for that to be the one thing he decided to mention as his dislike was oddly surprising.

 

Their sensei hummed and clapped his hand, bringing the attention back to himself.

 

"Let us go to the training grounds. We are going to do a little exercise." He stood and walked to the door holding it open for his little genin to move out of the room.

 

He led his team to training ground ten which was a flat piece of land surrounded by some boulders and trees. They stopped next to the two smallest boulders located on one of the corners of the grounds.

 

"I will give you different scenarios for this team and you will have to act accordingly. Simple as that, got it?" After getting nods from the three he continued. "On an acquisition mission, you are returning home at a fast pace in fear of being pursued after you have already been confronted. One of you is injured, the other is low on chakra and the third only has minor wounds. What do you do?"

 

"Which one of us is in each condition?" Masaru questioned, eyeing his two companions out of the corner of his eye.

 

"You decide." Kouta shrugged, gesturing for them to start talking.

 

"The most likely scenario is that the close-range fighter got injured so either Kaito or I." Shizuka glanced at the two who nodded for her to continue. "Low on chakra could either be Masaru or the other one of us since genjutsu does use up quite a bit of chakra. But he could also be the one with minor wounds if he kept long distance only."

 

"I think she is the one without injuries and I'll be low on chakra, meaning you would be the one that is fine." Masaru turned to Kaito who again remained silent. "So, either the person in the best condition stays to delay the enemy while the other two escape or the injured stays to distract while the other two run."

 

"That would be a bad idea…" The Nara shook her head, receiving another glare from Masaru, who opened his mouth to argue his point but was interrupted by Kaito.

 

"She's right, the injured staying behind could mean capture and thus torture causing more damage to the village." Kaito turned to Shizuka who nodded to confirm that is what she had thought. "And leaving a teammate behind isn't ideal in any situation."

 

Kouta remained silent watching as his students debated the scenario. It was admittedly a terrible scenario to give them right off the bat, but it would provide him with the information he needed on how to proceed with this team.

 

"Sensei, this is a terrible scenario," Shizuka called from where the three Genin sat, he nodded his head waiting to see if she would elaborate. "In real life, we don't choose who is injured, each combination would lead to different strategies. You said this was simple, so why don't you tell us all the conditions?"

 

"Alright." He crossed his arms and gestured to each student as he spoke. "Masaru, you're fine. Kaito, you're low on chakra. Shizuka, you're injured."

 

Shizuka nodded and leaned back on her hands with her eyes closed, ignoring Masaru's grumbles. Masaru repeats the same options from before and Kaito continues to argue against each. After a couple of minutes, they are interrupted by Shizuka speaking.

 

"Kaito runs ahead and sets a trap, Masaru provides a distraction with a genjutsu. I'm only there for the backup so I stay hidden. As soon as its up, we run to Kaito and regroup. We run again hopefully with the tail slightly further behind. Then-"

 

"Wait. Say the first stage works. The tail is now a half a day behind you, and you are all about two days from the border. You stop and rest for an hour. You bandage your wound, a stab wound to the leg."

 

"Ah, more specifics." Shizuka drawls, before turning to her teammates. "Who is better at setting traps? And which one of you is fastest?"

 

"So, we're going with my plan?" Masaru smirked.

 

"That is not what I said." Shizuka deadpanned before turning to Kaito.

 

"He's probably better at traps but last time we had a run I was faster."

 

"Alright, first we need to either get closer to the village than the enemy is to us or eliminate the enemy ourselves." Shizuka turned to their sensei again who simply shrugged.

 

"Backup is the option that would least likely lead to someone dying and also ensures the info gets back to the village." Kaito surmised before turning to the only girl who had resumed her earlier position. "You were thinking about one of us setting traps, and for me to run, you staying as the backup again."

 

"The enemies will not fall for the same strategy twice, and you are too far from the village for that to work." Kouta warned. He watched as Masaru crossed his arms and looked at his two teammates and Kaito looked between the two Genin, mapping them out in his head.

 

"Shizuka, how adept are you with your clan's techniques?" Kaito's question drew all team members' attention to the Nara.

 

"I can hold the shadow bind for an hour if I don't get distracted, but it depends on the number of enemies, distance, enemies' strength and size."

 

"You have five enemies in pursuit, all are Jōnin level. And you have a bit more than half your usual chakra." Kouta supplied.

 

"Splitting them up is the best way to get rid of them. Take one or two out with a trap, get one stuck in her shadows and kill him off. That would leave one or two who might not want to be outnumbered and turn back." Masaru suggested.

 

"I agree that splitting them up is ideal, but an injured leg would make it hard for me to kill anyone. I should be setting a trap, but I'm only decent at them." Shizuka shook her head and turned to Masaru.

 

"We'd need to split them to a group of two and three." Kaito suggested, "You and Masaru with the genjutsu and shadows could cause some confusion, leaving two or three in my pursuit."

 

"Time for more information." Kouta interrupted again. "Genjutsu and shadow combination are a good idea, while your opponents are distracted you bind them with the shadows. This allows Masaru the opportunity to quickly eliminate two opponents. Shizuka and Masaru are both low on chakra."

 

"We follow the rest and we now have them circled, what's the distance status?" Masaru leaned forward, slightly more engaged in the little activity.

 

"Kaito is about half of a day away, enemies are less than half a day away from him and you two are a quarter day behind the enemies."

 

"I start setting traps, it will bring the enemy closer to me, but also allows you to catch up to them." Kaito suggests hesitantly.

 

"Why don't you just go ahead?" Masaru frowns uncrossing his arms to pick at the grass.

 

"He's been running for a while with short breaks, they might catch up anyways. Also, the more time they are focused on him won't cause them to turn back and confront us, who are further away from backup." Shizuka answers, opening her eyes again and nodding to Kaito.

 

"So he sets up some traps as he moves forward. This brings him what six hours from the border, the enemies fall for the first trap and dodge the rest since they won't fall for the same tricks. Now they are about eight hours from Kaito and only three from us?"

 

The Jōnin nodded and moved to sit on top of the boulder the Genin were sitting against. The genin continued to throw around ideas for a few more minutes, and Shizuka didn't go into her 'thinking pose' as her teammates had silently dubbed.

 

"Kaito can send a clone with the information and prepare for a final confrontation, we catch up while Kaito starts the fight, hopefully stalling and the three of us can hopefully hold them off until backup comes?" Shizuka groans rubbing her temples, causing her teammates to snort but all three looked up to their sensei waiting for his final say.

 

"I suppose with a little more elaboration that could work." Kouta laughed as all three Genin slumped over. "I have a couple things to say about this little scenario." He waited as the genin sat up properly. "Masaru, don't count Shizuka out so easily, she might be younger than you, but she graduated early for a reason."

 

Masaru looked away but nodded, Shizuka simply shrugged and leaned her elbows on her knees.

 

"Shizuka, don't ignore your teammates. You may be a good strategist, but you must also listen to your teammates. I do realize you opened up more towards the end so there has already been some progress."

 

Shizuka nodded in acceptance to his criticism and he turned to Kaito next.

 

"Kaito, you have good and reasonable ideas, for the same reason Shizuka should listen more you need to speak up more." He then sent a smile to his team who hesitantly smiled back. "Now, next scenario…"

 

His students groaned and fell back onto the grass causing him to chuckle and shake his head.

 

"Sensei, these scenarios are as if we are chūnin or Jōnin, right?" Shizuka questioned, as she thought back to the 'mission'.

 

"What makes you say that?" Masaru asks as he frowned at his teammate.

 

"Well for one, sensei wasn't involved and two a genin team would rarely go on acquisition missions, much less one where there is a risk of Jōnin going in pursuit."

 

"Yes, it was a situation for later. You all did well." He smiled at his team and pulled three small sheets of paper from his pocket. He then handed out one to each student. "This is our weekly schedule. If there are to be any changes I will let you know at least the day before."

 

"Missions in the morning, training in the afternoon I get, but lunch together every Wednesday?" Kaito questioned.

 

"For teamwork purposes. We will do team building activities during that time as well. You'll see that by the time you all move on from the team, you'll miss each other." Kouta teased them, ruffling Kaito's and Masaru's hair. "Now let's go home. We will gather tomorrow for our first D rank mission, meet at the Hokage tower at eight."

 

"Hai, Sensei!" The genin stood and the team slowly broke apart as each continued their way home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited 08/2018
> 
> Thanks to my beta Kaname84!


	3. Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing poll:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> The Poll will continue for a while still and the options will be introduced soon.

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

Shizuka slowly opened her eyes and turned towards her alarm, noticing that she woke up five minutes before it was supposed to ring. Groaning and burrowing further into her blankets, she waited for the inevitable blaring of her alarm.

 

It had been six months since their first meeting, her team had just started taking the occasional C rank missions. Kouta-sensei had also upped the ante in training, giving each of them different exercises to do in their own time to improve their individual strengths and weak points.

 

When her alarm rang she slowly rose and turned it off, proceeding to do her morning stretches and getting dressed in her usual attire. Her black knee-length shorts with kunai pouch strapped to her left leg over some bandages. A mesh long-sleeved shirt under a light grey jacket with the Nara clan symbol on the back, a small collar and zip that goes to the middle of her sternum.

 

She stopped in front of the mirror on her wall and quickly braided her hair down her back, the end of her braid ending just between her shoulder blades. She pulled on her fingerless gloves and walked towards the kitchen.

 

"To-san, Ka-san! I'm heading out to meet my team. Have a good day!" Shizuka popped into the kitchen while tying her headband over the braid, grabbing an apple from the table.

 

"Have a good day, darling." Yoshino smiled as her daughter darted out to pull on her black sandals.

 

"Don't forget, we are due a training session for a new jutsu!" Shikaku called to his daughter. She popped her head back into the kitchen to send a broad smile his way.

 

"I could never forget a training session with you, To-san! See you!"

 

Shikaku and Yoshino watched fondly as she rushed down the path and out of the clan compound, waving to the rare Nara that was awake so early.

 

Shizuka was satisfied with her new routine. Despite becoming friends with Kaito, Masaru and her still bickered occasionally. Although they didn't throw insults at each other they picked on anything the other did wrong.

 

* * *

 

"You're almost late." Masaru grumbled as his female teammate stopped next to him and Kaito.

 

"Almost being the keyword." She rolled her eyes and the trio made their way inside the Hokage tower only to find their sensei waiting for them outside the Hokage's office.

 

"Just in time!" Kouta-sensei smiled and knocked on the door, waiting for permission to enter. "Hokage-sama, we're here to receive a mission."

 

"Kouta-san, yes, I have a C Rank lined up for your team. It's outside the village, a shepherd is worried about wild animals killing his sheep and requested a team to help."

 

Kouta-sensei reached for the scroll and gave it a brief once-over. Then he bowed to the Hokage before turning to his team.

 

"The village is only a couple hours away on a run. We leave in an hour, pack for a week but be prepared to spend a little more than that just in case." Kouta-sensei led the genin out once they were dismissed.

 

Within the hour all four were leaving the village on a run.

 

"We'll run there this time seeing as we only recently started walking on trees, but next time do expect to go jumping from tree to tree." He heard the chorus of mumbled agreement and proceeded to guide them towards the small rural settlement for their mission.

 

They took only a few breaks and arrived just as the sun had set, proceeding to head over to the shepherd's house who thanked them for coming so quickly. They were allowed to stay there for the duration of their mission.

 

Team Four had a small dinner while they discussed the plan for tomorrow and as soon as they were done they went to sleep.

 

* * *

 

The next morning the team had a brief conversation with the client before heading out to the pastures where they found the herd.

 

"It's been two days since the last sheep went missing." Kaito quickly counted over the sheep to make sure none had gone missing in the night.

 

"Spread out. See if you can find any signs, there hasn't been any rain, so we might just be able to find something." Kouta-sensei walked over to the fence beside the forest and began doing the perimeter.

 

The three Genin spread about, kneeling down every now and then to inspect tracks on the floor. After several minutes of silence, Masaru called out for their attention.

 

"I found some tracks!" The others quickly gathered around him as he pointed to small indents in a muddy patch. The prints looked to be from a rather large animal.

 

"Well spotted, Masaru." Their sensei knelt and inspected the print. "Mountain lion, I'd guess."

 

"Why would a mountain lion come this far south? They usually stay along the northern borders." Kaito questioned as the group slowly moved to the fence on the side of the forest, now looking for a way the animal could be getting in.

 

"Animals leave their territory to expand, hunt when their territory is low on food and to escape other predators." Shizuka listed before continuing. "Except this is human land so the mountain lion isn't expanding. It must be for the food, however, the predator possibility is still an option."

 

"The fence is intact, it's not impossible to think the mountain lion is able to jump over it. Even while carrying a sheep it could climb a tree, jumping over this wouldn't have been too hard." The shinobi moved deeper into the forest following the tracks.

 

"Why would you think a predator occupied its former territory?" Masaru questioned quietly as they moved through the forest.

 

"We are, as Kaito mentioned, far from where we would usually see a mountain lion. It wouldn't have come so far even if searching for food."

 

"So, you think it was driven out." Kouta-sensei concluded, looking back to his student who nodded. "We won't discard the possibility yet. While our mission is the shepherd herd's mountain lions are under protection as they are endangered, we'll need to capture it alive and then we figure out what to do with it."

 

The team continued moving until they reached a clearing where Kouta-sensei pulled out ration bars, passing them around.

 

"Might as well get you lot acquainted with these." He opened his and took a bite, completely used to the bland taste. "Useful little things on long terms especially when on the run. I won't make this a regular occurrence, but I think we might just take the opportunity to set up traps and continue on our little tracking mission."

 

For the rest of the evening, the Jōnin proceeded to explain more complex traps than the standard academy ones and the subtler details to look out for when tracking. They returned to the shepherd's house just in time for dinner. While the genin washed and dried the dishes, their sensei filled in the shepherd and his wife on what they were doing.

 

The trap closest to the pasture had gone off during the night and likely spooked the mountain lion away for the time being, but didn't capture or kill it. They decided to stay on watch just in case, but the night remained quiet.

 

Team 4 was once again tracking the mountain lion the next morning after repairing the trap that had been set off. After an hour walking deeper into the forest, Shizuka suddenly stumbled causing her teammates to glance back at her.

 

"Shinobi four miles North." She stated blandly. After receiving a narrow-eyed look from her sensei and shocked looks from her teammates, she sighed. "It's not like you didn't know I was a sensory type, sensei."

 

"That is a large range and I'd appreciate if you could elaborate on the situation."

 

"My father and I have been practising ever since our first mission outside of the village. We figured it's a useful skill." She shrugged before returning to her first statement. "They aren't moving much, so I assume it's a base. Not many shinobi, maybe five or six."

 

"Well, at least we know what brought the mountain lion this far south." Masaru replied dryly. "You reckon it's anything legal, sensei?"

 

"I can't say. I'll need to contact the Hokage about this." He signed and pulled out a scroll, quickly scribbling a note to the Hokage.  _ **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu."**_ _(Summoning Jutsu)_

 

A small brown coloured squirrel popped in front of the group.

 

"Arata, I need you to deliver this to the Hokage and if you could bring back an answer please." He gave the furry creature the scroll who nodded and turned to the three Genin who smiled broadly at him. His nose twitched in amusement before he darted off with the message.

 

"He's so cute!" Shizuka giggled, causing the men to chuckle at the rare display from their teammate.

 

"We need to handle the mountain lion and until we hear from the Hokage we'll stay here. The trail is leading to the rocks, so no more tracking footprints. Masaru you're with me, Kaito and Shizuka you stay together. Don't go too far from us, Shizuka warn us if you sense anything." He unsealed some radios and passed them around and having them set to the same channel.

 

"Hai-sensei."

 

Each pair went to different sides of the rocky slope. Kaito and Shizuka kept to the south, Kaito having climbed a little further up in case there were any caves slightly higher. They went on in relative silence, only speaking to answer their sensei.

 

"We found it! It's on the run heading your way." Masaru called through the radios.

 

Kaito and Shizuka traced back their steps slowly, keeping an eye out for movements in the forest. Shizuka turned to her teammate when she heard the distinct sound of running. Kaito jumped down and landed just in front of her.

 

"I'll capture it with shadow bind and you finish it." She whispered as she prepared herself. Seconds after she said it the mountain lion jumped from out of the bushes, skidding to a stop just in front of them.  _ **"Kage Shibari."**_ _(Shadow bind)._

 

Her shadow launched forward, latching onto the beast's shadow preventing it from being able to run away. Before Kaito had the chance to proceed with the plan, their sensei threw a senbon at the beast's neck.

 

"Well done you two. The tranquiliser should last for a couple of hours and in the meantime, I will make it a little cage."

 

Shizuka straightened up and walked towards her teammates gathered around the feline while their sensei used some earth jutsu to create a cave on the slope. After having his students drag the beast into the cave, he closed it off with thick bars made of solid earth.

 

"When do we get to learn element ninjutsu?" Kaito questioned as he admired the Jōnin's work.

 

"Let's get tree running, water walking and your overall chakra control a little higher before trying anything so elaborate." He chuckled at his students' annoyed expressions. "Let us move back to the house. After dinner, we can hunt something down for him." He nodded over to the unconscious beast before leading the way back to the town.

 

For the rest of the evening, the Genin decided to pick their Sensei's brain in regards to his abilities and what they would be learning. Kouta lasted two hours of questions before calling it a night, claiming they needed to be rested for the following day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited 08/2018
> 
> Thanks to Kaname84 for being such a fun person to work with!


	4. Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Itachi - 42%
> 
> Genma - 42%
> 
> Kakashi - 16%
> 
> Poll Link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And hope you enjoy:

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

The next morning, they woke up to three Chūnin knocking on their door, one with a small brown squirrel on their shoulder.

 

The backup team sent on the B-Rank mission investigate the hideout was composed of Kamizuki Izumo, Kotetsu Hagane and Hyūga Tokuma.

 

"I need you three to check on the cat, feed it and give it water. I left a little indent on the ground for you to fill it as a bowl." Kouta passed them the radios from the day before.

 

"Hai, sensei." The three took that as a dismissal, moving quickly to fill two buckets of water for the big cat. This left the adults to deal with the more serious mission.

 

Once the genin had cleared out, the Chūnin turned to the jōnin proceeded towards the hideout. They stopped at the same place the girl had taken notice of the chakra signatures, signalling the Hyūga to do his thing.

 

" **Byakugan."** Tokuma stared ahead for a few seconds before relaying what he saw. "You were right, there are traces of genjutsu, I'm impressed you even noticed it." Kouta grunted in acknowledgement waiting for him to continue. "Only five decently powered shinobi, I'd say high Chūnin or Jōnin."

 

"What exactly is your mission?" The Jōnin questioned as he fumbled with his radio to check into his students.

 

"We'll keep an eye out for a couple hours before formulating a plan. We are to gather information but have the clearance to attack if necessary."

 

"Alright." Kouta turned the radio on. "Team, report." He waited patiently for his team to mumble their status, the other adults holding in snickers at the sound of the seemingly pissed off mountain lion.

 

"Eh, sensei, couldn't you have given us one of those senbon? We had to shadow bind the sour puss to get the food through the bars and give it water." Masaru complained.

 

"And how long did it take you to think about restricting it?" He heard sheepish grumbles and complaints about almost getting their hands bitten off. "Alright, make your way back to the town. Ask the shepherd and his wife if there is anything you can do around there, I'll be on watch with the others. Check in with me in two hours."

 

He turned off his microphone but left the audio on in case they needed to talk to him, then he settled on a branch to wait until their next move.

 

Little over an hour later, he was startled out of a quiet conversation with Izumo by the panicked voice of his female student.

 

"We've got a problem. Two high-level shinobi in the little market in town. They are facing away so we can't see from which village, but they seem to be searching for something."

 

"And we don't think it's for fresh veggies." Masaru chimed in. "We are in a bakery just across from where they are."

 

"Do not leave the store." He stood and turned to the Chūnin, Izumo stood with him. "Izumo and I are heading over now."

 

The two quickly made their way to town, slowing to a leisurely walk once on the market street. They immediately caught sight of two shinobi walking into a small bar, recognizing the Iwa symbol on their brow. They continued walking down the street to find the three Genin with the shepherd's wife, their arms full of food and fresh bread.

 

"Let's get you all back to the house." They ushered them quickly down the shop and in the same direction they had just come from.

 

As luck would have it, just as they walked past the bar the two-shinobi walked out, easily spotting the Konoha shinobi. It wouldn't have been a surprise if they were called out, Kouta thought, but they managed to avoid any conflicts and brought the Genin back into the house.

 

"Why are Iwa shinobi relatively far from their border? Does it have anything to do with the hideout?" As soon as they had closed the door Shizuka had turned on her sensei, who simply raised a hand to halt her questioning.

 

"I don't know, but it is too coincidental to dismiss the possibility."

 

"Those two were high-level Jōnin." Izumo sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Which means there are seven shinobi in the area."

 

"We should return to the other two. Do not leave the house, keep on your radios."

 

The two adults left once again to rejoin the last two Chūnin, who had just noticed the arrival of two more shinobi into the hideout.

 

"So, we know they are from Iwa, at least two are high-level Jōnin." Kouta sighed, turning to the other three. "As for the reason we can only guess at, but that it is likely in search of something."

 

They devised a rotation for watch between and requested the Genin to do the same in the house. Once again they settled in for the waiting game.

 

It was just around lunchtime and the sun had risen to its highest point when things started going downhill. First Masaru and Kaito were sent to water and feed the mountain lion, this time equipped with a senbon and a tranquiliser. By the time they realised the cat had been stabbed through the bars, they were already surrounded.

 

Shizuka had been tasked with keeping an eye on the two other shinobi that had popped into town. As a sensor, she had the advantage of knowing how to conceal her signature enough to make her seem like a civilian. Without her ninja attire, no one would question otherwise.

 

Except when she felt the shift from her teammates' chakra, so did one of the other shinobi. They immediately locked eyes onto her as she walked in the direction of her teammates.

 

"Sensei, we have a problem. Masaru and Kaito are in trouble, chakra signatures are going crazy near the cat's cage." She quickly ran through the house, pulling on her radio and kunai pouch and not bothering with the rest of her usual outfit. "Oh, and I may have blown my cover and got myself two tails."

 

"Shit. Shizuka I need you to tell me if you can sense Masaru or Kaito's signature." Kouta quickly gestured for Izumo and left the other two Chūnin to keep watch on the hideout that had again been reduced to five shinobi.

 

"Sensei, I don't know how- "

 

"But you do. It's subconscious for you, when you feel too many new signatures you get headaches, but if introduced slowly you get used to them. It's probably why you could feel their signatures flare from such a distance." He paused allowing his student a moment, sparing a glance at Izumo who simply looked ahead as they jumped between trees. "Concentrate, Shizuka."

 

"Their signatures are moving towards the sheep, they are going for the traps we set up." She sighed. "While it's a good idea, the ones in pursuit are likely Jōnin or high Chūnin. Also, it means we'll be surrounded."

 

"Your tails, what do you think?" He approached the cat's cage cautiously, exhaling at the dead beast before moving to follow his genin.

 

"Chūnin. Nothing too interesting. I think one is a sensor, probably how they spotted me so quickly."

 

Mentally reciting all the curse words, he sped up only to hear some traps going off. It only took a few minutes for them to catch up to his three students and their four attackers.

 

"Well, well, what are little Genin like you doing outside your village?" One of the shinobi that had been in pursuit of the boys spoke up.

 

"I could ask the same from you and why you are out of your country." Shizuka deadpanned moving to stand with her teammates.

 

"Looks like their backup arrived." An Iwa Chūnin spoke from behind Shizuka.

 

Izumo and Kouta jumped out of the trees to land on either side of the genin. Izumo faced the two Chūnin to the northeast while he faced west and the two probably-Jōnin.

 

"The little girl is talented, I didn't even notice she was a shinobi until she lost concentration." The Chūnin spoke again, shifting his stance and causing all other shinobi to shift accordingly.

 

However, the first Iwa shinobi to have spoken was the first to attack, heading straight for Kouta, probably to engage the biggest threat and leaving the others vulnerable. When he was a mere meter away, he stumbled. Kouta didn't need to glance down to see his student forming the hand sign for the shadow bind technique, but he took advantage of the slow in the shinobi's momentum to trap him in an earth cage. His student to let go of the shadows and giving him time to stab his katana through the Iwa Jōnin.

 

"Shizuka, careful with the shadows. That was well played, but the Iwa shinobi are unlikely to have forgotten the Nara clan. Your father has a special place in their bingo books." He turned to look slightly behind him at his genin. "I'm confident you three can take a Chūnin. Izumo and I will keep an eye out, but one of those guys is your responsibility."

 

He turned back to his opponent but didn't miss the silent exchange between his students. Only moments later the fight started for real. He shouldn't be surprised considering the luck they'd had on this mission that his opponent had a lightning affinity, thus making his earth jutsus not that effective. He ended up resorting to the classic ninja wire and poisoned kunai combo to get a few cuts on his opponent. After that, it was just stalling while the poison worked its way through his system until he collapsed.

 

As he turned around he saw Izumo locked blades with one of the Iwa Chūnin while his tiny little Genin fought against the sensor. The sensor proved to be adept at ninjutsu, switching between earth and water with the occasional fire jutsu thrown in. This caused his Genin to repeatedly scramble out of the way. Masaru's genjutsu wouldn't be too helpful against a sensory type, Kaito was more of a close to mid-range and the Chūnin was keeping his distance. Shizuka was silently dodging, not making a single move to attack.

 

He stepped towards his Genin, but before he could move any further Shizuka called out.

 

"Sensei, the people from the hideout are on the move, making their way here. I'm guessing Kotetsu and Tokuma will also be joining in any minute." She knelt down and did some quick hand signs.  _ **"Kage Nui no Jutsu."**_ _(Art of Shadow Stitching)_

 

He only spared a brief glance to Izumo's opponent now covered in holes, Izumo had pushed him just within her range of seven meters for that technique.

 

"Sorry Izumo-san, but we needed to cut down on the number of opponents." She glanced back towards Izumo who had been somewhat surprised at his opponent's demise but shrugged it off. "I estimate we have less than ten minutes before the rest join the party."

 

"A Nara and a sensor, oh this just got much more interesting." The Chūnin smirked before pulling out his kunai.

 

"He's going to try to stall for as long as he can." Kouta stated, glancing at his comrades, all of which were fine. Even if his Genin were more winded than him and Izumo, they should be alright.

 

"And he will make it. We've been fighting for a while and we barely got a scratch. Deal with the ones incoming we can handle this guy." Masaru said as he moved in closer to the other two.

 

"Be careful. As soon as we're done we'll help." Kouta spared one last glance at his Genin before turning to the running shinobi.

 

The three rookie ninjas paid no mind to the fight starting behind them as the four adult Konoha shinobi fought the last five from the hideout. They knew they wouldn't allow one to attack them from behind and even if one managed to get past, Shizuka would be able to give them a fair warning.

 

"Hey Masaru, first plan ever?" Shizuka smirked over at her teammate who answered in kind. "Kaito, the first move is yours."

 

Kaito nodded before reaching for the weights around his ankle and deactivating them, allowing him to move at full speed. With a katana in his hand, he was ready to clash with the Chūnin they were fighting.

 

"So, you are the close-range combat for the team, hm? Which means blondie is likely only long range." The Chūnin smirked using his free hand to punch Kaito in the stomach, sending him flying. Luckily Shizuka caught him before he hit a tree, but now they had an enemy between them.

 

The Iwa Chūnin wasted no time in running towards the blond Genin, kunai poised to strike the neck only to stumble a few feet away, the kunai piercing the boy's left shoulder instead.

 

"Truthfully, this team's dynamic is a little more complicated than that." The boy's voice changed to a lighter, more feminine tone.

 

"How?" The sensor breathed as he glanced down at his body being pierced by shadows in every direction.

 

"We figured out quite early in our training that layered genjutsu and shadows worked well together. Add in her sensory abilities and we figured we could incorporate that in to confuse more powerful sensors and genjutsu users, such as yourself." Masaru smirked as the illusion faded completely, revealing Shizuka as the one he had just stabbed with a kunai.

 

Shizuka stumbled back, releasing her jutsu and allowing the enemy to fall down. One of her hands clutching her shoulder and the other ready to brace her fall backwards. Moments later Masaru was beside her, pressing some bandages to her shoulder. Kaito moved to stand over their fallen enemy to check for a pulse before kneeling on Shizuka's other side.

 

"Masaru, Kaito, Shizuka well done, but I need you to retreat. Get Shizuka to the house, now. This shouldn't take long." Kouta-sensei spoke as he kicked one of the Iwa shinobi away from him. There were only three left now. Tokuma was handling a Chūnin while Izumo and Kotetsu tackled a Jōnin together. This left the last Jōnin for Kouta to deal with.

 

The three Genin nodded. Masaru put Shizuka on his back while Kaito ran alongside them back to the house.

 

As soon as they arrived the shepherd's wife appeared with her husband, both leaping into action to help the three. The woman helped the girl out of the borrowed clothes, aided her in cleaning and wrapping the wound over the wrap she usually wore around her chest. Then she helped the girl put on a loose shirt that allowed easy access to the bandages. She let the girl rest while she returned to her team members who just finished wrapping Kaito's ribs.

 

"Is there anything you need?" She offered kindly, ushering the boys into the guest bedroom. It usually only held two futons, but now had an additional five other sleeping bags.

 

"No, thank you. We shall simply rest until our sensei returns. It shouldn't be too long now."

 

The woman smiled and walked down the hallway into her own room, her husband soon following. The two boys watched as their friend slowly woke up and helped her sit up. Then Kaito stitched up the wound and helped her re-wrap it before telling her to rest. They waited quietly for the rest to return. The moon was already in the sky when they finally came back.

 

"Kaito, Masaru, how is she?" Kouta-sensei sat next to his female student and looked over her bandaged shoulders.

 

"It's deep, but she cleaned the wound and we stitched it up. I personally think one of us, if not all of us should know basic first aid medical ninjutsu or -" Masaru rambling was cut short by their sensei's hand.

 

"We can discuss this later. Now tell me, how did this happen and are there any other injuries?"

 

"I have two broken ribs and we both have a few cuts and bruises, but nothing too serious." Kaito informed the Jōnin who seem to relax minutely before nodding for them to continue.

 

"We created an illusion that switches our chakra signature and coupled it with a transformation jutsu and a regular genjutsu to change appearance. We tricked the sensor into attacking me, a long-range fighter when he was actually attacking her." Masaru explained as he gestured between the two of them. "It worked pretty nicely, we used Kaito and Shizuka to show their ranges to confuse the opponent, bringing them closer to someone who is deadly in close combat."

 

Masaru paused in his explanation, his features shifting into a frown. Kaito picked up on his friend's mood and continued instead.

 

"We don't get why she didn't stop him in time, so he ended up stabbing her. But if I were to venture a guess, it would be she used too much chakra and didn't have enough to reach the full range, so he ended up too close to her."

 

The three Chūnin stepped quietly into the room, already changed out of their bloodied clothes.

 

"How's tiny doing?" Izumo asked as he settled into his sleeping bag.

 

"She's alright. Though I'll be more content once she's been checked out by a medic."

 

"Her chakra reserves are exhausted and nothing seems damaged." Tokuma deactivated his Byakugan and turned to go back to the living room. "I'll keep watch just in case, I'll wake you up for next watch."

 

"Thank you, Tokuma-san. We can talk about arrangements to search the hideout in the morning.

 

As the Hyūga left, the rest settled in for the night and it didn't take long for all of them to fall asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited 08/2018
> 
> Thanks to my beta Kaname84 who definitely is very quick when editing.


	5. Reset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll update:  
> Genma - 44%  
> Itachi - 33%  
> Kakashi - 22%
> 
> Poll link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And hope you enjoy!

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

When Shizuka woke up, the first thing she noticed was that her shoulder was throbbing and itching at the same time. She slowly sat up to glance around the room. Everything seemed to have been packed and so she assumed they would be returning to Konoha soon.

 

She carefully dressed in her usual attire, being cautious as to jostle her injury too much. Her braid had completely fallen apart so she settled with pulling it apart with her good hand, simply tying it in a low ponytail.

 

"So, you're finally awake." Kouta-sensei's voice rang from the doorway as she finished stuffing her things into her bag. "You've been asleep for over a day."

 

"What did I miss?" She walked towards her sensei and they made their way to the kitchen where the other shinobi were sitting around a low table. "Morning." She offered the Chūnin a small smile and ruffled her teammates' hair before sitting down on Masaru's side.

 

"We checked out the hideout!" Masaru smirked at her pout. "Tokuma explained the general things to look for and how to properly document it afterwards."

 

"Anything interesting?" She smiled thankfully at her sensei when he placed some toast in front of her.

 

"Scrolls. They were setting up the base, so no files had been brought over yet." Kaito continued as Masaru took a bite of his toast. "But we did find out what they were searching for. Apparently, some guy won a rare artefact and disappeared, their trails leading them here. And the since they were so close to the little base they decided to use it as their camp."

 

"So, there were two missions going on? A settlement mission and an acquisition?" She glanced at her sensei who nodded as he sat across from Masaru and in between Izumo and Tokuma.

 

"Now eat up. We will leave as soon as you're all done."

 

* * *

 

"Tadaima!" Shizuka called as she pulled her sandals off, struggling a little as she could only use one hand.

 

The journey back had been thankfully uneventful, and they made it back in good time. After stopping at the Hokage's office to report, the hospital check up, and stopping by the dango shop with her two teammates for a quick snack, they went their separate ways.

 

"Okaeri, One-san!" Shikamaru looked up from his position on the couch between Ino and Chōji, who also greeted her with small waves and smiles. "How was your mission?"

 

"More complicated than what it should have been." She moved over to ruffle his hair, making him groan and his friends to giggle. "Is Ka-san outside?"

 

"I thought I heard you coming in. How was your mission?" Her mother came up the small steps from the garden she had just been tending to. She kissed her daughter on the top of her head and walking with her towards the kitchen to prepare some tea.

 

"Our mission was fine if not for the Iwa shinobi that had been in the area." She shrugged, sitting at the table waiting for the tea. "Masaru got away with only cuts and bruises as did sensei and the three Chūnin sent to help. Kaito broke some ribs and I got a stabbed in the shoulder."

 

Her mother turned sharply towards her daughter who rubbed the back of her head and gestured towards her left shoulder. Pulling the zipper from her jacket down, she slightly showed the bandages that had been wrapped around the wound.

 

"And on your dominant side too," Yoshino noted, moving to pour the tea. "How long are you to stay off training?"

 

"Kouta-sensei wants us to practice tree and water walking, so I don't think too long. But I'm supposed to take it easy for the week until I remove the stitches."

 

Yoshino started moving around the kitchen to prepare dinner for the family, pausing only briefly to send Ino and Chōji off with their mothers.

 

* * *

 

Shikaku was reading over some reports when a knock sounded at his door.

 

"Come in." He called, rolling up the scroll and placing it aside as he leaned his elbows on the desk.

 

"Shikaku-san." Hiro Kouta walked into his office and sat directly across from him. "I'm here to talk about your daughter."

 

"Something happen on your mission?" He observed the younger man and his posture. It seemed relaxed, but he also knew that the man was nervous about something.

 

"C-Rank, mountain lion killing sheep. The team did well, but your daughter spotted something not too far from where we were." He shrugged. He watched as Shikaku held his eyes closed for a moment before he continued. "Iwa was settling in a small cave complex. They had obviously just started preparing the place as it was empty save a scroll or two. She saw them through some layered genjutsu from four miles away."

 

"She's getting better at it then."

 

"I did tell Masaru to start learning to layer genjutsu and since she's the weakest at it on the team, she could use the practice. Seems like it's almost subconsciously that she senses people."

 

"So that's why the Hokage requested an immediate reconnaissance and infiltration team."

 

"Hai. Three Chūnin came to keep watch on the group, but then two more Iwa Jōnin showed up in town, searching for something. They likely spotted us when heading back to the shepherd's house."

 

"They went to the compound then? Same or different missions?"

 

"Different. From what we could tell four were on the trail of an artefact the other five were working on the base. In any case, we didn't manage to avoid confrontation. Thankfully the groups had been split up when pursuing us." Kouta sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest before continuing. "Two in pursuit of the boys, five under watch in the hideout two after Shizuka."

 

"Considering my afternoon has been quiet, I assume it all worked out."

 

"We took the groups down little by little. Kaito broke two ribs and Shizuka got stabbed in the shoulder, nothing life threatening once cleaned and stitched." He spoke the last part quickly as to not startle the man too much but paused to give the man time to gather his thoughts. "She took out two Chūnin with the shadow stitching, one with an unknowingly Izumo pushing him into her range. The other was a sensor whom she tricked by shifting places with Masaru as he put up a genjutsu."

 

"They figured she was a Nara and kept dancing out of range?" The Nara pinched the bridge of his nose. It was not uncommon for shinobi to start avoiding the shadows like a plague when confronted with a Nara, and it got seriously annoying after a while.

 

"And by switching places with Masaru, undergoing a transformation, layered genjutsu and manipulating her chakra signature, the Chūnin ran straight into her."

 

"Hence the stab wound. She got the basics of Shadow stitching rather quickly, but she tends to overuse her chakra. I imagine the two, as well as the rest of the battle, was too much?"

 

"Hai. She slept for a day after and is fine now, though the team will be taking two days off before any type of training."

 

"So now all you have to explain is why you are telling me all this and not my daughter." Shikaku straightened his back and clasped his hands on the desk.

 

"She has the potential to be a formidable sensor with the proper training. But we both know she would be pulled up the ranks rather quickly for those skills. The Chūnin exams are in Suna this year, but the year after that will be here."

 

"You want to keep her abilities hidden for now then," Shikaku concluded before looking at an empty spot on his desk for a moment. Kouta held in a snort at the similarities of the father-daughter duo's expression while in their 'thinking pose'. "The team won't question you if you don't enter them, but they also won't be satisfied with only D-Ranks."

 

"We'll work it out. This gives them all the time to develop further."

 

"Thus making her more prepared for the missions she'll probably be getting once she makes Chūnin. How many people know about her?"

 

"The three Chūnin: Hyūga Tokuma, Kamizuki Izumo and Kotetsu Hagane. The Hokage knows she has potential because of the first day at the academy, but my missive said that a possible base for Iwa shinobi was spotted. I didn't give names, and I would tell him if he asked, but he hasn't."

 

"He might suspect it's her, but I also don't believe he would be the one to push for her promotion." Shikaku stood, silently putting scrolls into different drawers and sealing them shut. "I'll keep training her on sensory techniques. My brother Daichi is skilled in the area but is often away on long terms."

 

"Of course the Bloody Shadow is your brother. Haven't seen him in years." Kouta laughed as he walked out of the office with Shikaku in tow. "Always thought you were cousins."

 

"He's my little brother who gets all my daughter's attention when he's around." Shikaku shook his head as the man next to him continued to chuckle. "You find it funny now, but when he shows up she'll stop focusing on your training and concentrate on him."

 

The two men walked through the village until they had to part ways for their individual homes.

 

* * *

 

"So, here's the game plan." Kouta leaned against his usual boulder as his Genin sat in front of him. "While I believe you would all do well in this year's Chūnin exams, I believe an extra year training would ensure you all succeed on your first try."

 

"Does that mean we are doing D-ranks for the next year and a half?" Masaru groaned, already dreading all the babysitting and capture the cat missions.

 

"I will start requesting fewer D-ranks and more C-ranks, as I know you can handle those smoothly. Our mission last week got meddled with a B-rank which even then you handled well despite your lack of experience."

 

"This means special training doesn't it?" Shizuka questioned, earning herself side glances from the two boys. "We are going to be trained in specific areas as well as the general improvement we've been doing. And I'm also guessing you're planning on giving us more leadership missions."

 

"Correct on all accounts. You will all receive training in the areas you show most potential, but team practices continue for general abilities, speed, stealth, strength. And I am officially done with D-ranks. From now on any D-rank you receive you will take turns leading."

 

He smiled as his Genin perked as they started to truly consider what the extra time would allow them. He let them chat excitedly for a little bit before clearing his throat and bringing the attention back to him.

 

"Now, this team is a versatile squad. You have the potential to be a heavy hitting team, but also a team specialised in intelligence, infiltration or acquisition." Kouta started glancing at his students, assessing their reactions. "Nothing stops you from being a heavy hitter if you choose any of the other options, but choosing a specialisation will determine which areas to focus on."

 

"Infiltration and intelligence usually go hand in hand, and it's not too difficult to think of an infiltration turned acquisition either," Shizuka states, leaning back on her hands. "Kaito and I are good at adapting and observing, Masaru tends to stand out a bit more, but we can use that to our advantage."

 

"And while he probably can't identify certain cues just by observing people as Shizuka and I can from years of just observing, its nothing he can't pick up on." Kaito continued his female teammate's train of thought.

 

Kouta turned to the third Genin, who looked thoughtful as he considered his two teammates' comments. After a few minutes of silence, Masaru looked up and looked directly at the Jōnin.

 

"So we can specialise in infiltration but also elaborate on the academy basics of acquisition and intel gathering that we apply to our specialisation."

 

"Sounds like a plan to me." Kouta lip twitched into a smile as his Genins' became determined with their future path. "But for training, since Shizuka should take it easy on her shoulder we can still learn tree running and water walking. So let's start…"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited 08/2018
> 
> Thanks to my beta Kaname84 and the early morning she spent on these.


	6. Observation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll update:  
> Genma - 50%  
> Itachi - 30%  
> Kakashi - 20%
> 
> Poll link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And hope you enjoy!

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

"Good morning!" Kouta appears from behind his usual boulder on 'their' training grounds.

 

It was early morning, earlier than their usual meeting time and all three Genin were nearly falling asleep against the rocks. Masaru sat crossed legged, his face leaning on his hand propped against his knee. Kaito had his head resting on his hands on the rock behind them, but both had their eyes partially open. Shizuka was actually sleeping, he suspected, her chin touching her chest and arms crossed with her legs extended in front of her.

 

He made a point of dropping the bag he carried on her lap, startling her out of her light doze, ignoring her grumbles.

 

"We're starting your specialisation training today!" Kouta held in a snort at his students' unimpressed look. "But before we start practice, who can tell me what you need to know for infiltration- Shizuka don't even try that."

 

Shizuka smiled sheepishly as she pulled her hand away from the zip of the bag and pushed it towards Masaru who sat furthest from her. Her teammate snorted and set the bag aside and out of her field of vision.

 

"We need to know how to blend in," Kaito answered once their attention had been returned to their sensei. "whether it is into a shinobi organisation or civilian village."

 

"At first we will only receive infiltration into civilian areas. These can be ranked up to B rank if it is a more organized gang, but let's start with basics. What would likely give a shinobi away?"

 

"Our chakra, reflexes, appearance." Shizuka ticked off her fingers. Kouta gestured for her to elaborate. "Reflexes are obvious, civilians don't react the same way a shinobi would, even if they are bandits. Appearance is harder, but say if you are in bingo books then the bounty on you is a potential risk. Blowing your cover because of chakra amongst civilians is rare considering they would have to sense your chakra for that."

 

"Indeed, but you might still run into the occasional shinobi and that would be a problem. Now you can suppress your chakra to 'civilian' level and even loosen your grasp of it so that it appears less controlled, but good sensors would be able to tell. This is something we will practice some, but since I don't expect to need to hide from shinobi as civilians it will not take priority. Now, what are the skills you will need?"

 

"Stealth, to get into hideouts. Any way to gather information from passive searching and questioning to interrogation." Masaru suggested, watching as their sensei compiled a list on a piece of paper he pulled from his vest.

 

"How to read people, profiling, memorising the smallest details." Shizuka paused to glance at her teammates before continuing. "To play certain roles you need more specific skills, from how to move, speak and manners."

 

"We should probably add communicating this between us without giving anything away, planning and improvising cover stories and best ways to compile information." Kaito continued.

 

"Good! This is quite the start. So, let's work with some of these before we go into in-depth tactics." Kouta glanced over the paper and continued to add some notes. "As I said before the chakra concealing is something you might want to work on your own, if you need help we can talk about it during the next practice. Shizuka you will be the point of reference here, we will throw in drills for your own practice as a sensor and test your own abilities at concealing your signatures."

 

"Next would be information gathering." Shizuka tilted her head, her eyes narrowing on her sensei. "Please tell me you aren't going to send us to spend time with Morino-san and Inoichi-Oji-san at the T&I."

 

"I wasn't planning to." The 'yet' was added mentally in Kouta's mind. "Again, interrogation isn't something you should worry about just yet, we'll stay with more passive methods and once you have those down we can progress to other methods."

 

"That leaves profiling, memorisation, acting, communication and compiling information. Man, this will be troublesome." She sighs dramatically, winking at her teammates who just snort at her antics.

 

"Memorisation is something that will come to you eventually. Compiling is also straightforward, though brushing up on the basic Konoha coding system might not be the worst idea. But we can come up with something to help in those areas."

 

"We should learn hand signals and how to communicate silently will probably come with more practice together." Shizuka suggested, watching warily as their sensei finished making notes on the piece of paper before he placed it in his vest and looked up at his students with a glint in his eyes.

 

"Now for what's in that bag…"

 

* * *

 

Shizuka was deep in thought as she walked through the training grounds after a long training with her team. They started their specialization training just over a week ago and she was already dreading the next session.

 

It started off easily, with Kouta-sensei giving them a list of basic things to notice when observing someone and possible conclusions you could make from each combination of facts. Then they went into role play. Their sensei had given each of them a character to 'be' and they had to ask each other questions to figure out their 'motive' for one crime or the other. After that, they were given a person to follow and for the next three days. That's all they did, swapping people with each other the following day so that they could cross-reference information. Now they were pretending to be those people, their mannerisms, everything from how they walked to speech patterns.

 

Each of her teammates had a different area of interest. Masaru was better at following people, he could weave genjutsu to make himself invisible in crowded areas. Even if the Chūnin they were asked to follow had caught him, he admitted he had sensed the other two following him the days before and he got a bit tired of it all. Meanwhile, Kaito fell easily into all his roles, but that was only superficially. He could copy mannerisms and link it easily with personality and speech, which was rather impressive considering speech patterns were something that had so many variables. Shizuka herself was more interested in the psychological aspect of it all. Where Kaito couldn't always see the reasoning behind his character's actions, she would just analyze all the information and make assumptions about motives.

 

Shizuka was so immersed in her thoughts about her training that she was startled by the chakra spike in the clearing just ahead of her. She silently crept closer, peeking around a tree to watch as two boys sparred.

 

Both had black hair, the older boy's spiky and short hair while the other's was in a low ponytail. From the symbol on their shirts, she identified both as Uchihas. They continued for a few more minutes before they pushed away from each other, the older boy turning to her location.

 

"Looks like we have an audience, Itachi-kun."

 

The younger boy, Itachi, turned to her. She took that as an invitation to step out from behind the tree and noted he seemed to be the same age as she was.

 

"Ah sorry! I was walking home and heard you practising, I just got curious." She shifted on her feet for a few seconds before giving a brief wave. "I'm Nara Shizuka."

 

"I'm Uchiha Shisui, and this is Itachi." The older boy waved back. "And don't worry, we should probably be on our way anyways."

 

He started moving around the clearing, picking up the kunai that littered the ground. Itachi and Shizuka also helped, picking up the ones closest to them. She tried ignoring the glances from the younger Uchiha prodigy.

 

"Again, I'm sorry. But that was a really impressive jutsu." She smiled, handing over the weapons she had gathered.

 

"How long were you there for? You are quite good at concealing your chakra you know?" Shisui led the trio started away from the training grounds and towards the village.

 

"My sensei is having us practice concealing our signature, I wasn't even aware I was doing it." She shrugged. "I'd say I was there for about ten minutes, but I couldn't say for sure."

 

"Impressive, considering we only sensed you just before we stopped." Itachi finally spoke up, glancing at her once again almost as if searching for a hidden motive.

 

"You still noticed, so I guess that just means I need to practice some more." The trio went silent after that and eventually, they broke away in the direction of their clans' compounds with only a nod in farewell.

 

* * *

 

"Hokage-sama." Team 4 greeted as they shuffled into the mission assignment room almost a month later.

 

"Team 4. I've heard that you have been progressing nicely in your specialization training." The Hokage glanced up from the scroll spread in front of him. "There is a C-Rank information gathering mission you'll be interested in. A coastal town has reported some supplies have been missing. Since it is a coastal town people tend to come and go, but the supplied are disappearing at a constant rate so it isn't a one-off."

 

Kouta-sensei stepped forward and glanced over the scroll nodding to the Hokage before ushering his team out once they were dismissed.

 

"It will take us about a week to get there and hopefully we can finish the whole thing in three weeks. We are unlikely to run into trouble on the way. The little information that we have is that this is a civilian group, which explains the low-ranking mission." Kouta-sensei told them as they left the administration building. "Don't forget your civilian kit. We'll meet at the gates in an hour."

 

* * *

 

On the way to the town Kouta-sensei explained that they were supposed to act as civilians, so they would stop just before getting to town to change and walk the rest of the way there. They would also break into smaller groups and arrive two at a time.

 

"Kaito, you'll need to transform into someone older and accompany Masaru into town. Shizuka and I will enter a few hours later. I will show you where the inn we are staying in is, go straight there once inside."

 

"Once inside what's our plan?" Masaru asked as they jumped between the branches of the trees.

 

"We'll spread out. I recommend a simple henge to look older, no need to go overboard. Once in town, we don't need to be with whoever we went into it with."

 

"That also opens an opportunity to more 'characters'. We can switch between each of our own depending on who we are talking to." Shizuka heard their sensei's hum of approval before she spoke again. "What about communication? If we're spread out we won't be able to reach each other easily."

 

"We will select meeting points beforehand after an initial sweep of the town once we get there, report through hand signs or coded notes if you find a way how. At night we compile and cross-reference, then we adapt for the next day and so continue."

 

The trip there was uneventful. They split watch and tasks for the camp and at the end of that week, they found themselves in a small clearing just two hours from the entrance of the village.

 

They each went behind a tree to change into their civilian garbs. Masaru and a transformed Kaito started to make their way while Shizuka and the Jōnin waited for them to be a certain distance from them before following them.

 

Arriving into town and getting their rooms was even less eventful. They had three rooms: the two boys in one, their sensei in another and the only female member of the team had a room of her own despite the grumbles of her teammates.

 

"Alright, since its past lunch we will only be walking around town, take note of the more crowded areas and frequented shops. We will reconvene here tonight."

 

Each took their turn leaving the inn and heading off in a different direction for their first initial sweep of the town.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited 08/2018
> 
> Thanks to my beta Kaname84 aka oh sleepless one.


	7. Mind-Map

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll update:  
> Genma - 50%  
> Itachi - 29%  
> Kakashi - 21%
> 
> Poll link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And hope you enjoy!

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

The first two days of the mission went by pretty quickly. The day they had arrived they walked around town and noted the number of people in each area. Along the coast, tourists and residents would walk down the street and occasionally sit on the benches to watch the sea. On the docks, it was usually only people who had business to do there, such as picking up or dropping off merchandise or people that were arriving and leaving town via boats.

 

The town centre was also often busy since it was in the heart of the village surrounded by shops and restaurants. It attracted a lot of people and there was a street just off the main one that had a bar; it seemed to be popular both amongst residents and tourists.

 

Kouta-sensei left to check out the bar once they planned for the following day and promised to inform them of anything the next morning. Thus, the team sat in a small circle just before leaving to the streets.

 

"The town people are a little anxious about the missing supplies. They tried to set up guards, but the supplies that go missing are from different ships and different companies with nothing tying them together beyond the port."

 

"If we can find the data of docking ships we can probably cross-reference them to see which ones are always here when the thefts happen." Shizuka suggested as she tugged on the sleeves of her simple kimono.

 

"I'll see if I can convince the dock manager, but I might have to go to the merchant's guild for the records." Kouta then looked towards the boys. "You two have the main square today, we will meet in the dango shop across the street from this inn. Let's move out."

 

At first, they just listened to conversations and when the topic of the thefts sprung up, they either followed that person or bumped into them pretending to be surprised at the indirectly asked those who were more informed about sources and so on.

 

Masaru had been the only one of the Genin to get anything relatively useful. He noticed that most of the people thought it was a merchant behind the thefts as some searches had been conducted by civilian guards, but nothing had ever been found.

 

Kouta-sensei was unsuccessful at getting the records from the docks, but one of the guards introduced him to a scribe in the merchants' guild that would help him. His cover story was that he was just searching for a specific a seller that had an amazing ointment, but couldn't remember the name. He wanted to look at the ships that regularly showed up in hopes of jogging his memory.

 

Lunch came and went, the team exchanged coded messages via tapping on their individual tables at the dango shop. They soon returned to their locations with the instruction to focus on the merchants for suspicious behaviour.

 

Shizuka was sitting on a bench trying to overhear two men loading a small foreign looking vessel with crates full of silk two at a time. Their conversation was pretty dull for the first few crates, but just as she was going to move on, they changed topics.

 

"I don't know how these foreigners can stay so long at sea. Almost two weeks sailing with stops only to restock and pick up the merchandise and then back again."

 

"That's probably why they were looking to set up a store in town." The second man, tall and tan with dark hair and eyes, shrugged as they dropped the last crate on the ship. "That's the last of it, let us return to Doi-sama."

 

Shizuka waited for them to move further away before standing, her eyes casually scanning the crowds to see if Kouta-sensei had returned from the merchant's guild. Not having spotted him, she followed the two men, reaching out her senses to try to find her sensei. She located him still at the guild's headquarters.

 

As the men entered the building she assumed was the guild's headquarters, she moved towards the back of it ducking into an alley, finding a window to glance inside. The back of the building was not nearly as extravagant as the front and instead had a small door and small high windows, probably to let light in but to avoid people from looking in.

 

Gathering some chakra onto her hands and feet, she quickly scaled up the building to glance inside seeing only a warehouse-like interior full of crates. It made sense considering it was a merchant's guild. Seeing no one inside she started picking the lock, but before she could unlock it she heard voices coming down the alley towards her. With a quick burst of speed, she dashed around the other corner.

 

She listened in as a group of workers unlocked the door and went inside, listing off the crate reference numbers they needed to pick up and sign off on to load a hip belonging to their boss, Harue-sama.

 

She waited for as long as she could, hoping that they would say more or move out so that she could look inside, but they spent a while inside gathering the boxes and loading them onto a cart to take to the dock. She had only managed to gather small details about the crates and some protective measures the merchant's guilds were taking to prevent more thefts. Glancing at the sky, she decided it was best if she came back the following day as she was supposed to meet her teammates soon.

 

She walked down the street calmly, moving through the fuller streets, easily spotting a small shop with workers hammering shelves into place. She glanced around taking note of its specific location to pass on to her teammates.

 

She spotted who she assumed was Kaito in his older looking henge, approaching the inn at the same time as she. She ducked her head and thanked the kind 'stranger' for holding the door open for her and moved to request her dinner to take it up to her room.

 

Kaito walked out of his and Masaru's room, hair still wet and dinner in hand. They glanced around the corridor before knocking and waiting for their sensei to call them in. Team 4 sat around the low table and ate their dinners filling the silence with the information they gathered.

 

"How did you know it was silk clothes?" Masaru leaned forward after Shizuka explained what she heard.

 

"No sounds from the box, so not something that would make noise. It had to be light because they carried two at a time. The stamp had the stamp of a well-known silk merchant." She shrugged before pausing leaning on her hand propped on the table, the plates now cleared away. "And I assume it was full clothes instead of silk rolls because the boxes were too small for the standard size of a silk roll."

 

"Not bad." Kouta-sensei smirked, patting the top of her head and causing her to scowl. "I got the records copied from the merchant's guild. I have gone over it once and made notes, but Shizuka, you're the best at spotting patterns so this will be your task for the morning."

 

"Hai, sensei." She reached over to grab the stack of paper, wrinkling her nose at the amount she would have to go through, putting them on the table she resumed her former position. "What will you be doing tomorrow?"

 

"I will check out the back of the merchant's guild. Kaito, you will need your henge again to go to the docks. Some of the smaller vessels sell things there as they don't always want to pay for a stall in the market. Masaru, I want you to follow the foreigner's and see what they do in the time they are on land."

 

* * *

 

The next morning, she sat in her room with the dock records across her floor. She kept rearranging them and making notes. She eventually went out and bought a spool of ribbon to start making connections between the sheets, holding them in place with some senbon. She lost track of time and was a few minutes late to the check in with her team in a small restaurant.

 

She took notice of Kouta-sensei's raised eyebrows and the others' questioning looks. Signing a quick 'got distracted, mind map', she picked up her lunch and moved to leave. Signing for the Jōnin to walk towards her, she 'accidentally' knocked into him, slipping a small note to him and returning to the inn.

 

In the restaurant, Kouta continued towards the counter and ordered a small bowl of edamame for himself. On the way back, he tapped the pocket in his shirt telling his two students that Shizuka had slipped him a message. He scanned over the short note, a request from Shizuka for him to find out about a list of businesses. He split the task between the three of them and signalled them to meet in the alley behind the restaurant.

 

"We need to gather information on these businesses, no explanation as to why, but I suppose we'll find out later tonight." The Jōnin shook his head, passing the torn-up note to his students.

 

"So, we need the names of the owners, descriptions of products and a list of their suppliers?" Masaru glanced at the two names on his sheet.

 

"If you can get your hands on their books, see who buys the most and so on that would also be beneficial."

 

The trio spread out again. Kaito only had one target while the other two had two each. They spent the rest of their afternoon getting that information and they returned to the inn later than they had the previous day. They got their dinner, Kouta getting some for Shizuka as he doubted she would have left her room to get it.

 

They knocked on her door where they assumed they would be eating, hearing the muffled sounds of their female teammate's footsteps and the crumbling of paper. The door opened a fraction and they were met with the sight of Shizuka in black pants, a baggy shirt and her hair in a bun, a few strands of hair framing her face.

 

"You're back! And you brought me food! Thank you." She smiled sheepishly and let them in. "Careful where you step."

 

They all blinked slowly, taking in the mess her room had become. There were three different coloured ribbons linking different sheets of paper. Some, they noticed, were in her handwriting, dates, names and locations pinpointed on a tourist map of the town.

 

"You've been busy," Kouta-sensei stated as she closed the door behind the three of them. They all sat around her table that was quickly cleaned from the paper and ink so they could sit around. "Let us explain what we found and then we go into your little project."

 

"You honestly didn't miss much from the lunch meeting, we heard a couple more rumours. Someone has been pressing for higher prices to dock and for better monitoring of the stalls next to the ships, but the council doesn't agree." Kaito pulled out some paper from his pockets. "There were leaflets about the campaign to keep the docking charge from going up."

 

"It's been a while since the last theft, so we can assume another will happen within the next few days. If we can come up with the supplies more likely to get stolen, we can keep an eye out."

 

Kouta-sensei then set his plate aside, moving to stand at the centre of the mind map and gestured around him.

 

"When I asked you to go over the papers, I thought just notes would do."

 

"I got too excited by the patterns." Shizuka grinned, jumping up and moving to stand next to her sensei. "Whoever did this is very clever. There have been eleven stolen crates of supplies. The products were three crates of fabrics, two of medicinal herbs, one of ceramics, two of glassware, and three of pharmaceuticals."

 

As she spoke, she pointed to five patches of paper laid out in a circle in front of her. Then she turned back towards the table and pointed to the map she had gotten from the inn's reception.

 

"Here are the locations of the shops and warehouses of these companies. Follow the black threads pinned on the map to the little circle there." She pointed her thumb back to the circle Kouta-sensei was still examining. "It's not complete, which is why I asked you all to look into the companies. As I said the person behind this is clever and has been making people go around in circles."

 

"Why don't you keep walking us through while we write down what we learned and you can slot it into this thing you've made." Kouta gestured around, shaking his head as he moved back towards the table and paused to pick up the blank sheets of paper and ink for them to use.

 

"Well red is showing who would suffer from the missing supplies and green is who would benefit. Five industries, ceramics and glassware are vaguely competitive, herbs and pharmaceuticals are also linked. If ceramics go missing, they need to charge more and thus glassware becomes cheaper. If herbs go missing, pharmaceuticals will either have their products become more expensive or if they synthesised formulas they sell more."

 

Shizuka traced the red and green ribbons. She proceeded to explain how red means drawbacks and green means benefits. She also showed black threads leading to specific people who she had managed to connect through the records.

 

"Interesting enough there are two people who benefit more than they suffer drawbacks from the thefts. Tanahashi Doi and Mori Harue are both part of the more influential merchant's guild members. Doi works more with clothes but he has investments in all of these industries. Harue is the heiress to her father's business which dealt with making silks and unique clothing lines made for each client exclusively."

 

"You think they are competing for control over the market and one is stealing to disrupt the other's business." Kaito surmised as he finished writing what he had, extending the paper out for her to grasp. "I was looking at the pharmaceutical business. They were planning on buying some of the herbs to make medicine, so it rules them out, I guess."

 

"Doi regularly buys from them and even owns a fraction of the business after the company went through some rough periods." At the inquisitive glances she felt on her back, she elaborated as she added Kaito's sheet to the pharmaceuticals patch. "They reduced their shipments drastically and only after Doi invested in them, providing materials at a cheaper price did they reach the same profits they had before whatever happened."

 

"Then Harue is more likely to be orchestrating the thefts, right?" Masaru clapped his hands only to frown as their sensei and Shizuka walked back to the circle of papers. "What is it?"

 

"Harue lost a lot of her  _exclusive_ fabrics. Even if in quantity she suffered less in monetary terms she lost more. But from what Kouta-sensei told us about his time in the guild, Harue isn't involved in any of the guards being set up." Shizuka explained as she skimmed over her notes.

 

"So, people are suspicious of her, doesn't that help our case?" Masaru stood and walked to stand beside his teammates, looking around for the right places to put his sheets.

 

"Not this time. Think about it, civilians escaping guards? While not unheard of no one should have known the guards were stationed near the crates and yet all the 'most likely' merchandise to be stolen stayed in place." Kouta-sensei started to follow the ribbons, cutting a black one and connecting them to the requests to have guards for some shipments.

 

"A false trail. How much money did Doi lose then?" Masaru pitched in, having moved closer to pin his sheets in place

 

"I only have basic ideas of the products in each crate and their quality, but from what I can tell not much maybe a third less than what Harue lost." Shizuka then jumped across the circle and knelt down next to the records of the docks. "There, the longest gap between the thefts is the one between the pharmaceutical crate and the two crates of fabrics. It's been a while since they struck. I think they will strike another box of fabrics, probably tomorrow as one of Harue's regular client's ship arrives."

 

"Why do you say that? It's been whenever the opportunity arises as we've seen, the dates aren't regular, and the products change. The last crate stolen was fabrics, they've never gone for the same thing twice in a row." Kaito pointed to the map with the dates.

 

"True, but the others are for the sake of creating a false trail. If he can steal his own things to throw them off his trail and not lose any of the money, he can probably fake the records and say things are worth more than normal."

 

"Alright, say you are right. Doi is orchestrating the thefts. He has access to the guards positioning, so he can work a way around that. What is the endgame? He can't continue this infinitely." With the final pieces in place, Kouta-sensei gestured for his students to sit with him around the table.

 

"Without her fabrics and exclusive lines, Harue is pretty much out of business. She doesn't have nearly as many investments as Doi." Kaito leans on the table, the team paused sharing a small smile between them remembering the hours they spent talking through these scenarios.

 

"And get this, besides the fact that whenever he steals fabrics, he takes a relatively longer time between thefts, probably not to draw too much attention but the thefts also coincide one thing that happens in the same interval of around two weeks. Care to venture a guess, Masaru-kun?"

 

"The foreigners. Their ships leave at those intervals. And Doi's company makes more clothes than Harue's which means he can stash the premium clothes with his." He gets a nod in confirmation and then a gesture for him to continue talking, so he did although a bit hesitantly. "And he can use the fabrics for his clothes as well. The herbs go to his pharmaceuticals, the pharmaceuticals themselves can be sold on the black market. The ceramics and glassware though..."

 

"The answer is still the foreigners, he can sell the stolen products far away so that it can't be traced back to him." Kaito shrugged, picking up where his teammate stopped.

 

"The foreigners aren't here long enough to actually commit the thefts, so he has others doing that part. And he needs a place to keep the things and that wouldn't be found in raids."

 

"The new shop." Kouta-sensei spoke up, "The workers are probably his as people wouldn't question builders carrying crates to or from a construction site. Now, we need to plan how to prove all this. Doi  _is_ , after all, a rather influential person here."

 

"We can look at the shop, and the foreigner's ship of it hasn't left," Shizuka suggested as she leaned back on her hands, her eyes closing and her head to falling forward in a slump. "And of course, putting someone to keep watch on Harue's most recent batch of products and someone to keep an eye on Doi."

 

"Kaito you guard the crates, Masaru you will check out the ship if it has already sailed go to Kaito. Shizuka that leaves the store you and I get to follow Doi." Their sensei then stood, glanced around the messy room, and turned to Shizuka who had already moved to her futon. "I recommend making a sketch of all this, number the pages and all that it will make compiling the final report much easier. For all of us."

 

The three men snorted as they heard her grumble about all the work she would have to do before going to their rooms.

 

* * *

 

Shizuka mused how quickly the mission progressed after that. With all the pieces in place and gathering information from all possible locations, it was easy to build a case against Doi. She didn't find anything but the leftovers from the stolen crates. They were using the wood from the construction to make more boxes and using the stolen boxes as spare wood around the shop. ' _A rather clever way to get rid of evidence'_  she admitted to herself.

 

Masaru did manage to get into the ship and found beautifully hand embroidered kimonos and yukatas, which were of better quality than the mass-produced clothes Doi's company made. He closed up the crates and isolated the ship keeping everyone out, only allowing the guards in to help him take the crates to the merchant guild's headquarters.

 

Kaito caught a group red-handed in the act with two more crates of clothing and fabrics. He led the group to headquarters where they easily gave up Doi for a more lenient punishment.

 

Kouta found a couple payment slips, bags of money and an incriminating ledger of profits which he went over with the same man who had given the records before, Ukyo, who thanked them for solving the problem.

 

Harue made a point of seeing them off at the gates with a promise from them that if they ever needed a special outfit that they would send her a request which she would handle personally.

 

They left the town immediately after, taking to the trees and back to Konoha filling the time talking about how to compile a complete report and reminding them about the forms for added material for their report, such as the diagram of Shizuka's mind-map.

 

She got home after debriefing just in time for dinner after which she joined her father in his office to start on her report. Her mother would walk in not thirty minutes later to see them both asleep, Shikaku with his head resting on his hand propped up on the desk and Shizuka with her head on top of her crossed arms on the desk. She flicked the back of their heads prompting them to wake up and after a bit of grumbling, they left their reports to go to sleep, intending to finish writing them the following day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  *Edited 11/2018
> 
> Thanks to my beta Kaname84!


	8. Hiding in Plain Sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll update:  
> Genma – 47%  
> Itachi – 29%  
> Kakashi – 24%  
> Poll link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And hope you enjoy!

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

"We have company." Shizuka states as she locked blades with Kaito.

 

Masaru and Kouta-sensei were just slightly off to the side going over some katas while she and Kaito sparred using their tantōs. Her teammate took a step back and readied his stance to resume their spar.

 

"Where?" He glanced around them before focusing on the girl who tilted her head to the left before launching forward, faking an attack his left and changing course last minute forcing him to spin around her.

 

"Now, straight ahead of you. In a branch mid-way up the tree." She shifted her stance to a defensive one before glancing to his kunai pouch, raising her eyebrows.

 

Kaito reached down and pulled a handful of senbon and threw a couple at her. She knocked some off of their path while dodging two of them allowing those to hit the branch the observing ninja stood on.

 

Said ninja jumped down and landed quietly, walking slowly towards their group that now included their sensei and third team member.

 

"She's not bad for a Genin. Took her a bit longer to notice me but I  _was_ suppressing chakra."

 

"A test, really, sensei?" Shizuka narrowed her eyes at her sensei who shrugged.

 

"You need to get used to shinobi suppressing their chakra. Even if you aren't actively searching, you might want to make it so that you don't even need to think about it."

 

"Kakashi, meet my team, Kaito, Shizuka and Masaru." Kouta-sensei gestured at each of his students who tilted their heads in acknowledgement. "Team, this is Hatake Kakashi."

 

All three had heard of the Jōnin before and although they knew the man was powerful, they couldn't help but exchange disappointed glances before focusing on the two Jōnin again.

 

Shizuka looked at the silver-haired Jōnin curiously. He was tall with his hair sticking up. His chakra had a slight edge to it, contradicting its smooth movements around his body. She couldn't see much of his face, but what she could see was pretty ordinary. As she focused on his mask, concentrating on outlines in hope of mapping out his face, she got distracted and Masaru has to pinch her arm to bring her out of it.

 

She turned to scowl at her teammate while Kaito shook his head, eyes shining with amusement before he addressed the new Jōnin.

 

"Are you going to help us train, Kakashi-sensei?"

 

"Ah, no." Kakashi chuckled at the three Genin in front of him. "I only came for the test and to let Kouta know that the Hokage just received a mission perfect for your team. Now that that is done, I'm off."

 

And with a little finger wave, he disappeared with a cloud of white smoke.

 

"Let us not keep the Hokage waiting." Kouta-sensei waved them along, starting their trek to the Hokage's building, not bothering to hold in his snort as his Genin started debating what was under the mask.

 

He ignored their attempts at getting information out of him.

 

* * *

 

"Hokage-sama, you have a mission for us?" Kouta-sensei straightened up from his bow, his students following his lead.

 

"Yes, a C-Rank. In a village Northwest of here, civilians have been dying, rumoured cause of death is a new drug. The suspected cartels are all civilian and it is a rather small town, hence the low ranking."

 

The Hokage handed their sensei the mission scroll. After a quick glance over the scroll, the Jōnin looked back up at the Hokage with a raised his eyebrow. After a silent exchange between their sensei and their leader, the three Genin started shifting around in confusion.

 

"So, go in, gather information and shut it down." Masaru glanced between the Hokage and his sensei. "That seems pretty straightforward. Shouldn't be too complicated right, Sensei?"

 

"It shouldn't be." Kouta-sensei put the scroll into his pocket before turning to look at his students. "However, it is close to the border with Iwa, and after the mountain lion mission we've been hesitant about sending any team lower than Chūnin in that direction."

 

"C-Rank infiltration missions aren't too common and when they are they tend to be rather simple to figure out. This might be a C-Rank, but it would give you a better experience in these missions than any of the others." The Hokage clasped his hands on the desk in front of him, his eyes focused on the three Genin silently assessing them. "Patrols of the border increased, but I feel that sending an extra team member can only benefit in this case."

 

"Who did you have in mind, Hokage-sama?" Kouta-sensei shot a glance at the door, mentally going through a list of possible Chūnin and Jōnin that might join the team for the mission.

 

"Seeing as how you might also benefit from someone who has experience with poisons, it might be beneficial to have someone identifying and studying the drug. Shiranui Genma also has experience with infiltration and I'm quite sure he will work well with your team."

 

"A reasonable choice. Has he already been informed?"

 

"Indeed, he has. I took the liberty of setting your departure for noon. That should give you just over two hours to prepare. He will be at the gates by then. Good luck."

 

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

 

* * *

 

When Shizuka arrived at the gates, only Kaito and Masaru were there. They exchanged greetings and moved to the shade of the gates to wait for their last two companions.

 

They didn't have to wait long and minutes later their sensei approached accompanied by a man wearing the standard Konoha uniform, light brown hair framing either side of his face. The man wore his headband as a bandanna, the leaf symbol at the back of his head. He had warm brown eyes and a senbon in his mouth which he shifted around as he smirked at the Genin.

 

"Team 4, this is Shiranui Genma, a Tokubetsu Jōnin. Genma, these are Akiyama Masaru, Hitotose Kaito and Nara Shizuka." Kouta-sensei gestured between each as they nodded in greeting.

 

"What do you specialise in, Genma-sensei?" Masaru enquired as the team moved to leave the village.

 

"Ninjutsu with a particular interest in weapons and poisons." Genma followed the team, easily fitting into their formation. "And you can drop the sensei. I'm here more as a backup rather than a teacher."

 

Kouta was ahead with Shizuka right behind him, allowing her to easily inform their leader should she sense anything out of the ordinary. Kaito and Masaru ran side by side, just behind her and Genma took up the rear in case of attacks, not that they expected any so soon after leaving the village.

 

"What will be our plan sensei?" Shizuka questioned later as they finished settling in for the night.

 

"The entrance will be similar to the first time, Genma will go with Kaito and Masaru. He and I will go out at night to check for suspicious activity during the nighttime. In the morning we will debrief, before proceeding as we usually do: splitting up to cover more ground and regrouping at around lunch to share information."

 

"Do we have the information on who died, when, where and all that? I can get started on a mind-map so that I can set up a larger one when we get to the inn."

 

Kouta-sensei smirked as he reached into his pouch and unsealed a folder with a map of the city, victims, and more information, handing it over to Shizuka. The original members of team 4 all snorted as the girl eagerly took the folder and started flicking through it. She pulled out a blank paper from the folder and started jotting down notes with small diagrams, completely ignoring her teammates' conversation about possible 'characters' they could assume. Catching Genma's curious gaze towards his female student, Kouta turned to their temporary member.

 

"Shizuka here made a mess out of her last room with a massive mind map. While someone else has already made some connections, it'll be easier to proceed once we have one set up."

 

The two Jōnin looked at the girl who continued to scan each paper the brush she used was twirled between each finger of her right hand deftly.

 

"Such a Nara." Genma snorted and turned to the others to join their discussion of the basics of dealing with drug cartels and possibly toxic substances.

 

* * *

 

After a little over a week of travelling, the group made it to the merchant village before noon. This allowed the team to settle into the inn and go out to grab something quick to bring back to eat while also giving them an idea of the area immediately around their 'base'.

 

Shizuka had stayed behind while the others went out in order to set up the 'map' she had been preparing for the trip there. She brought out the ribbons and used a similar process with stabbing senbon to keep things stuck together, she separated the information into smaller 'patches'. She was walking around, checking her 'map' with her drawn diagram and notes when the others arrived with food.

 

"When you said massive, I didn't think it would occupy the entire room." Genma deadpanned, moving to sit at the table with the others who all shrugged, having expected it to be large. "Alright, tiny, anything that may have escaped the others' observations?"

 

"Not really, but I have narrowed down the most likely areas people are getting the drugs from and the dates are all pretty regular too, in clumps of three to five people within four days of each other and this cycle repeats every two weeks." She frowned, glancing at the furthest patch from the tables. She pointed it out towards the others. "The first three victims, however, were all separated by hours and were the most violent deaths. Since then the time between victims has gotten larger and the deaths less… bloody."

 

"A drug dealer wouldn't want his clients to die, right? It's probably bad for business." Masaru dug into his udon noodles.

 

"Which either means this isn't your typical cartel or someone is experimenting with a formula for a new drug." Genma supplied as he passed her a box of dumplings, amused as she sent a smile towards her sensei as she noticed what her food was.

 

"They infect people, wait to see what happens and make alterations to the formula before trying again. That would imply they have a lab to try it out, access to ingredients and people that know how to work with them." Kouta-sensei nodded, glancing at the 'map' around the room before focusing on Shizuka, "Let's eat. Once we've finished we can come up with a list of information we need to look for specifically."

 

The ninjas talked very little as they ate their meals and once finished, they moved towards the centre of the 'map', listing out areas to pay attention to and places to visit that would sell chemicals and herbs. The Genin all decided to concentrate on the victims and gathering any extra information they could on them.

 

With a plan to spend the last few hours of daylight gathering information, the group split up. Shizuka walked through the town slowly, stopping at store windows and keeping track of shops and what sort of people were in each part of town. Just as she decided to head back to the inn, she accidentally knocked into a flower cart. Apologising profusely to the vendor, she bought their last tulip and made her way back.

 

The team had already been waiting for her and they all glanced down at the tulip in her hand and to her face.

 

"We've been here for less than a day and you've already got an admirer?" Masaru teased, laughing more as she just scowled and kicked his leg as she passed him, placing the tulip in the flower vase on top of the dresser.

 

"I knocked into a flower cart and felt bad, so I bought a flower." Shizuka sat at the table and pulled out a brush, ink and some sheets of paper, "Now I found some shops to check out the chemicals and also profile for the areas I walked through…"

 

Shizuka made notes as she explained and then gave each team member a stack of paper. She cheerily told them to start writing as they jotted down information she pinned things to her mind map, adding theirs' as they finished.

 

"Genma and I will be heading out to check out the nightlife. Don't stay up late and behave." With a stern look, ignoring his students' looks of indignation he stood and left, the other Jōnin leaving moments later.

 

* * *

 

They found nothing for the first two days, and that's when the next victim was found. The shinobi were more alert after that, gathering information about a fresher victim was easier without drawing suspicion.

 

The victims were disconnected. Some were married, some were single, some were widows. Some were drunks or criminals, others were outstanding citizens. Young and old, from different backgrounds and different jobs there wasn't one single thing that linked them all together. And it was getting on Shizuka's nerves.

 

The team had put together profiles for each area they frequented, their family and their friends. They looked into the shops 'borrowed' their books, but they found nothing out of the ordinary in the specific orders or regular sales.

 

The new victims allowed Genma to have a closer look at the effects of the poison and drug. He started going over possible combinations of ingredients to narrow down anyone who bought those items specifically.

 

Just as their second week in town came to a close, Shizuka found herself walking back to the inn for dinner. They hadn't gotten any useful information in two days and the team was going over everything they had found and pretty much remaking the entire map. As she looked down a quiet street with smaller apartment blocks, she decided to take the faster route to the inn.

 

She looked up just in time to see the vendor of the flower cart leave his house with his cart. In the cart were beautiful exotic flowers of different shapes and colours that she had never seen before. She hadn't been too interested in Ikebana classes the kunoichi students had to attend, but couldn't deny that the skills could be useful on missions.

 

The flower that caught her attention was a one with white heart-shaped petals and dark green leaves that seemed to have the shape of kunai. It was a pretty flower she had never seen before and she approached the vendor slowly, the man stopping just beside her.

 

"Good evening! That is quite an interesting flower, I have never seen one before." Shizuka reached towards it, brushing her fingertips across the petals.

 

"It isn't a natural flower, I bought the seeds from a foreigner and have been planting them ever since." The man explained, meeting Shizuka's eyes as she looked up from smelling the petals. "It's curious how the leaves are the aromatic part of the flower. Would you like one?"

 

Shizuka accepted and waved goodbye to the vendor, resuming her walk back to the hotel, spinning stem between her fingers. As she turned into the corridor their rooms were in she, saw Kaito leaving his own, probably on his way to get dinner.

 

"Could you get something for me, please?" Shizuka asked as they passed each other in the corridor of their rooms. She gave him a pouch of coins when he nodded. "Thank you. I'm running a little late and wanted to wash up first."

 

"No worries. The others should be back soon."

 

Shizuka dashed into her room and dropped the flower into the same vase as the tulip, moving quickly to the shower. The room filled with steam and she relaxed her body as she went through the motions of showering while her mind drifted back to the mission.

 

It was a coughing fit that broke her out of her thoughts. Groaning at the thought of getting sick now, she quickly dried off throwing on long pants and a short-sleeved shirt, wrapping a towel around her shoulders as to not get her pyjama shirt wet.

 

Stepping out of the bathroom she waved to her comrades as she sat herself down and unenthusiastically ate her food, barely paying attention to the exchange of information from the afternoon.

 

"Shizuka, did you hear anything we said?" Kouta-sensei narrowed his eyes at his student, observing her slumped posture, that while not entirely out of the ordinary for the Nara, she didn't seem as focused as she usually would.

 

"Sorry, sensei, I can't find it in me to focus." She looked up briefly to rub the back of her neck.

 

"Are you feeling sick?" The older Jōnin frowned, exchanging a glance with Genma, who sat directly next to the girl.

 

The Tokubetsu Jōnin placed the back of his hand on the girls head.

 

"She's freezing." He pointed out frowning, prompting the others to all focus intently on the girl as she started coughing again. "She was fine at lunch."

 

"Shizuka you need to tell us when you started feeling ill." Kouta-sensei moved so that he could lead the girl to her futon, the other two boys shuffling to stand behind their sensei as he sat next to their teammate.

 

"Flower cart leaving the apartment building, exotic flowers, I bought one..." She whispered, reaching for a glass of water as her coughing fit stopped.

 

The focus shifted to the flower pot and the odd flower. Shizuka closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on her teammates speaking.

 

"What I don't get is why the vendor was leaving their apartment now." Kaito huffed moved to bring the pitcher of water to refill Shizuka's glass as it emptied.

 

"I haven't seen a flower cart since the first night actually. It was selling flowers to couples that first night too." Genma murmured as he checked the flower. "The flower is odd, I've never seen the likes of it before, although I am far from an expert."

 

He plucked it from the vase careful to pick it up with gloves, just as he lifted it to smell it Shizuka scrambled out of bed, knocking over the glass of water Kaito was offering her causing it to spill over the boy.

 

"Don't smell it! Its an airborne drug, poison or whatever it is." Her words sounded slurred and she stumbled, Masaru clasped his arm around her forearms to keep her from falling over.

 

Genma stopped immediately and put the flower down on the tablecloth and wrapping it tightly.

 

"Did the vendor tell you anything about the flower? Knowing you, you probably asked questions." Kouta-sensei ushered her back onto the futon.

 

"He said he got seeds from a foreigner, though he plants them himself. Also, the smell comes from the leaves and not the petals."

 

"You just had to smell the pretty flower." Masaru groaned, causing Shizuka to grumble something about learning and although the other two members of team 4 were still worried, they still looked faintly amused at her attempt at defending herself.

 

"Well, her core temperature is lower than it should be, that causes breathing issues. She didn't inhale the drug directly and any residue on her hands was cleared in the shower. She needs to stay warm." Genma picked up the wrapped flower. "I brought some basic equipment so I'll have a look at what I can find out from the flower."

 

"Shizuka, you rest and Masaru keep an eye on her. If something happens, go to Genma. Kaito and I will go to the flower vendor."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited 10/2018
> 
> Thanks to my beta Kaname84!


	9. Improvement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll update:  
> Genma – 42%  
> Kakashi – 35%  
> Itachi – 23%
> 
> Poll link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thank you! And hope you enjoy!
> 
> SC

"Speaking."

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

Two hours after the team split up, Genma returned to the little kunoichi's room, moving over to Masaru who was reading a book by the table.

 

"Have you found anything about the plant?" Masaru put his book aside, clasping his hands on the table.

 

"The flower was created in a lab. The leaves are coated with these tiny particles that you breathe in; it makes your body produce mucus that your body tries to expel by coughing." He sat down across from the boy and poured himself a glass of water. "I'm waiting on results, but the lowered body temperature is probably also due to the substance and the objective would be to accelerate the breathing problems."

 

"What about all the blood from the other cases?"

 

"The substance was probably reaching the stomach if you kept swallowing instead of coughing it out and was causing irritation in the stomach." Genma shrugged, tapping his fingers on the table as he shifted the senbon in his mouth. "The people didn't expect the blood, it's probably what they are trying to change. Don't know what the purpose for it is either."

 

"Maybe they want it to kill but less blood to make it less obvious? The loss of focus, coughing, irritation in the stomach, I would guess just a bout of sickness, the lower body temperature contradicts that but maybe they plan on changing that too."

 

"Hm... maybe." The Jōnin thought for a few minutes before shifting his gaze to the girl still asleep. "We were lucky she didn't smell the leaves, she probably got very few of the particles. As soon as I figure out the ingredients I'll work on an antidote. Keep checking her temperature and I'll be in my room if you need anything."

 

Masaru nodded and watched as the Jōnin left. He glanced over at his sleeping teammate and walked over to check her temperature. Bringing his book with him, he settled with his back to the wall close to where her head was.

 

Later that night, or rather early the next morning, Kouta-sensei and Kaito returned with new information. Sending Kaito to fetch Genma, Kouta approached his sleeping student to check her temperature.

 

"Kouta-taichō, I've come up with a sort of antidote." Genma approached the pair and handed over a small tube with liquid. "It'll counter whatever gets into her stomach and blood. The cough will fade on its own when the irritation of her lungs and throat are over."

 

"Thank you, Genma." Reaching over to his student's shoulder he gave her a gentle shake, holding in a sigh as she seemed to melt further into her blankets. "Shizuka-chan, we need you to get up and drink something."

 

"What did you find out?" She rubbed at her eyes and drank the offered glass of water and the antidote, as Genma explained what he found from the plant. "And the vendor?"

 

"He's been drugged and is safely under the watch of one of my clones. I got him to spill on the whole ordeal, but he was only one of the distributors. Apparently one of the cafes sells a tea made from the leaves."

 

"I've handled the flowers from the cart, and the ones he had stocked. We've also gotten the tea leaves out, so all we need to clear out is the warehouse." Kaito pitched in as he sat on the other side of Shizuka's futon.

 

"We're heading there now, Kaito you can stay and Masaru you're with Genma and I. Three will make it quicker."

 

"I don't need a babysitter…" Shizuka grumbled, "Kaito can go, I'll stay awake and do some reading. Say sensei, you don't happen to have a puzzle book with you, do you?" She sent him a bright smile to which the man rolled his eyes and nodded, unsealing one from a scroll along with a pencil.

 

"Alright, let us move then. The sooner the raid is finished the sooner we can wrap this mission up." He stood from where he was kneeling and gestured for the other three to follow him, "And Shizuka, don't finish all of those puzzles."

 

* * *

 

"So, they were creating different poisons to sell to shinobi?" Shizuka asked as they jumped through the trees on their first day of travelling. "What were the labs like?"

 

"Surprisingly well equipped." Genma supplied from the back of the group. "Not as good as the ones back home but not bad considering it was a civilian town."

 

"What other poisons were they making?" Shizuka dropped back to run beside Genma. "Were any of the other projects complete?"

 

"Curious little thing, aren't you?" He laughed, causing her team to grunt their agreement.

 

"'Knowledge is power' as Ibiki-San and Inoichi-Oji-San would say. You can never have too much of it." She grumbled, before resuming her normal position after a pointed look from her sensei.

 

"Eh, sensei, you're not still mad about the puzzle book, right?" Shizuka asked, a teasing glint in her eyes only to receive another narrowed eyed look. "I'll get you a new one… And in my defence, you guys took longer than what I expected."

 

* * *

 

"Sensei, we have a little less than a year left to the exams, right? Do you think we should choose one thing to start learning as a trump card?" Masaru asked as they reached the main road leading to the Konoha gates.

 

"I'm sure we can slot it into our training. Anything you had in mind?" Kouta-sensei glanced back at his students as they exchanged looks between themselves.

 

"I was thinking of taking my taijutsu a step further with a new style, or maybe some ninjutsu. Kaito was saying he wanted to learn a few new fire jutsus. And Shizuka had been complaining about her 'weak right side' so she wanted to start training to be able to use a tantō with either hand."

 

"All reasonable requests. Why don't we take tomorrow off to rest and meet back at our usual spot the day after; I'll have some new suitable exercises then."

 

"Thanks, Sensei!" The three chorused just as the gate came into view, the five shinobi increased their speed just until they were right outside the gates where they slowed to greet the guards and show them their papers.

 

After a brief meeting with the Hokage and being dragged to the hospital for a checkup, Shizuka made her way home. Just as she got into the compound she sensed someone she hadn't seen in a long while, making her hurry down the path to her house waving at some relatives on the way.

 

"Tadaima!" She hastily dropped her pack and shoes by the entrance and slid into the kitchen, a bright smile on her face. "Daichi-Oji! You're back!"

 

Her uncle was a tall man with the traditional Nara looks, with dark hair pulled into a spiky ponytail and dark eyes. He had a scar running along the right side of his jaw and one down from his temple to his eyebrow.

 

"Zuka!" Daichi pulled her into his right side as he sat at the low table. "How was your mission?"

 

"It was alright." She coughed and pulled away, handing a small bottle of cough syrup to her mother who narrowed her eyes at the item presented. "Ka-san! I'm supposed to take this for a couple days… You see there was this flower…"

 

"Why don't you go clean up. I'm sure I'll be hearing about this at dinner." Her mother raised her hand to interrupt her and pointed her to the rooms. "Your father should be home soon. Shika is at Chōji's for the night."

 

A little over an hour later, the four family members were eating dinner listening to Daichi talk about his past few months. The conversation soon moved to what had happened in the village while he was away and soon to Shizuka and her most recent mission.

 

"And now I have a sore throat from all the coughing, but the syrup is supposed to sooth that." She shrugged, helping her mother wash and dry the dishes while her father and uncle sat at the table.

 

"You had to smell the flower." Daichi chuckled while her father just shook his head. "How about the chūnin exams? You're competing in the next ones here in the village, right?"

 

"Hai! Though sensei promised to help me train with my right hand, and to-san is already helping me with sensing and shadow, I was wondering if there was anything you could teach me too."

 

"She has the same chakra nature as you." Shikaku raised an eyebrow at his brother who sighed and shook his head.

 

"Alright. Tomorrow morning, we can train some." Daichi chuckled as she tackled him into a hug from behind, planting a kiss on his cheek.

 

"Thank you, Daichi-Oji!" She thanked her mother for dinner and waved the adults goodbye before going to her room to settle in for the night.

 

"I often think she has too much energy to be a Nara." Daichi sighed once he heard the door to her room slide shut.

 

"Whenever she is free she'll find a moment to nap," Yoshino chuckled as she sat back down. "And she's always reluctant to wake up and get out of bed."

 

"And then you hear her sensei or one of her teammates talking about the massive mind-maps she builds for her missions and you forget all about her random bouts of energy."

 

"A mind-map?" Daichi looked at his brother and sister-in-law in confusion, who then launched into a conversation about Shizuka's 'maps.'

 

* * *

 

"You're late!" Kouta-sensei scolded her as she ran into the practice field two hours late for their training.

 

"Sorry, sensei! Daichi-Oji-San is back in the village and I was spending some time with him!" She stopped in front of her sensei who was only shaking his head.

 

"Fifty laps and then sparring with Masaru for him to try out a new taijutsu style while I work with Kaito and ninjutsu. If we have time we can work on your right hand, if not we'll start tomorrow."

 

"But, sensei…" She was interrupted by her sensei pointing to the two boulders with a line dug into the ground which they used as a starting line for laps around the training field.

 

She grumbled out some complaints and started her laps, ignoring her teammates' chuckles. After her fifty laps, she sat in the shade of the boulders her sensei uses as a seat and took a sip of water, waiting for Masaru to walk over.

 

"How was training with your uncle? What is it that he's teaching you again?"

 

"Ninjutsu. To-san has a different nature than I do, so my Daichi-Oji is teaching me wind jutsus. We just started so I can't do much more than infuse my kunai with it to add power."

 

"It's a good idea to have some elemental jutsus up your sleeve; people won't expect a Nara to use them." Masaru offered her his hand to pull her up, which she gladly took, "Between the three of us we have fire, wind and earth. And I doubt there will be opportunities for your curiosity to get us in trouble."

 

Shizuka glared and punched his arm causing him to laugh as he set himself across from her, lowering into a defensive stance, waiting for her to do the same. A silent agreement to only use taijutsu passing between them.

 

Practice went on as usual. In the end, Kouta-sensei didn't have time to train her to use her right hand as it was already getting late in the afternoon. Instead, he gave her some pointers and ideas to start working on her own but promised to practice with her during the next practice.

 

As the four of them walked through the village, they waved at Kotetsu and Izumo who were returning from guard duty.

 

"So, tiny, we heard you got into trouble again." Izumo chuckled as they matched their pace to the genin.

 

"That mission wasn't my fault, and neither was this one." Shizuka huffed and her teammates sent looks to the chūnin that clearly said: 'Totally her fault'.

 

"She just  _had_ to smell the poisonous flower." Masaru teased, pulling the tail of her braid, causing her to throw a punch at his shoulder which he dodged out of the way.

 

"Whatever." She glared at Masaru who had moved to walk on the other side of Kaito.

 

"How are your preparations for the exams in six months?" Kotetsu asked once he stopped laughing at their antics.

 

"We are preparing some trump cards to have just in case." Kaito answered as he gave stern looks to his teammates who were still trying to pinch each other.

 

"Good idea. From what we remember, you guys can handle yourselves. We look forward to more missions with you three." Kotetsu nodded ruffling Shizuka's hair and patting Kaito's shoulder.

 

The two Chūnin waved goodbye to the three Genin and made their way to the administration building, while the other three soon split down the streets leading to their own houses.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Edited 01/2019
> 
> Thanks to my beta AmIValid2!


	10. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll update:  
> Genma – 45%  
> Kakashi – 31%  
> Itachi – 24%
> 
> Poll link:  
> https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And Enjoy!  
> SC

“Speaking.”

**_Jutsus_ **

* * *

 

Shizuka walked to the garden at the back of her house to be greeted by her father’s generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio on a bench and their kids sitting around the garden.

 

“To-san, Inoichi-Oji-san, Chōza-Oji-san!” She approached the three men who sat watching their kids in the yard.

 

“Shizu-chan! Late training?” Chōza smiled as his goddaughter sat on the steps onto the garden reaching out to pluck a leaf from her braid.

 

“Kouta-sensei is a slave driver. We’ve been doing speed drills for hours.” She scowled, causing the men to exchange amused glances. “At least I’m finally able to parry with my right hand without letting the tantō drop.”

 

“Less than six months to go now is the time to give training all you’ve got.” Inoichi pointed out. “By how much training you’ve been doing from what your father has told us you’ll have quite the arsenal.”

 

“Most of which is probably not exactly public knowledge.” Chōza added.

 

“Dad always says to have a trump card for after a trump card.” She shrugged her eyes focusing on her younger sibling who had convinced the other two to take a break from playing.

 

“Wouldn’t expect any less from a Nara.” Inoichi chuckled before turning to Shikaku. “Any idea how many are participating this year?”

 

“Suna, Ame, Waterfall, Grass all have teams. Suna has seven teams, Ame six, Waterfall two and Grass three. Konoha has twenty-two.”

 

“Speaking of Grass, what’s going on with the border?” Shizuka glanced back at the adults only to have her father narrow his eyes at her. “Did you really expect me not to know something was going on? Remember who found the hideout in the first place?”

 

“So it was you.” Inoichi sent Shikaku a look before focusing on the girl. “Quite the range you’ve got now.”

 

“Don’t look at me that way, To-san. They already knew I was a sensor just maybe not the extent of it.”

 

“We’ve been training ever since we found out.” Shikaku sighed, “Although Daichi and I are both far beyond our limits in the area now.”

 

“Are you planning on revealing it once you become chūnin?” Inoichi questioned.

 

“Maybe eventually.” She shrugged standing up as the younger kids called for her, “And to-san, I haven’t forgotten that you didn’t answer my question.”

 

The adults shook their heads as she sat down on the grass with the younger trio around her asking questions about the academy that they would be starting soon.

 

* * *

 

“Shizuka-chan!”

 

“Hey, Hana-chan.” Shizuka stopped going over her katas to greet the Inzuka and her ninken. “What bring’s you to the Nara compound this early in the morning?”

 

“My team has a mission, but one of my teammates is off the roster so we needed someone to fill in. They offered someone from your team and Shun refuses to work with Masaru-kun and neither of us really talked to Kaito-kun.”

 

“Ah... Tracking unit, right?” She put one of her tantōs in its sheath that was on her back. And the other on a sheath lying on the ground. “Alright, it’ll be good practice. Come inside while I get my pack.”

 

“Sure! We’re meeting at the administration building, we still need to debrief.”

 

Shizuka and Hana went inside and got her and the dogs some water and went into her room to get the travelling pack she left ready. She wrote a quick note to her parents explaining where she went and left it on the table.

 

“So dual blades, hm? Keeping secrets for the chūnin exams?” Hana teased as they walked through the village. “Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone outside my team.”

 

“Thanks.” Shizuka glanced at the older girl. “How is your training coming along? Your team is also competing right?”

 

“Yeah, we’re usually a tracking team so we’ve increased offensive training.” Hana shrugged before grinning at Shizuka, “I heard from ka-san that your team got some interesting missions, infiltration, right?”

 

“Yeah.” She sighed thinking about all the jokes she’s gotten from people about her mind-maps.

 

They continued to make small talk about their teams and some stories until they met up with Hana’s team outside the mission’s desk.

 

“Shizuka-chan, thank you for coming. I’m Fujita Rizu.” The woman smiled kindly before knocking on the door to go in, “I know this isn’t your area, but your sensei has spoken well of you.”

 

“At least we won’t have to deal with Masaru-kun’s attittude.” Aburame Shun nodded in greeting to Shizuka before they started to move into the room

 

“He’s gotten better, even Kaito is speaking up more.” Shizuka commented as they lined up in front of the desk.

 

“Your mission is a C-Rank mission to track down bandits that stole some valuable possessions from a notable family near the border with the Wind country.” The Hokage handed the scroll to Rizu who put it in her pocket.

 

“Hai, Hokage-sama.” The team bowed and left the office.

 

As they turned the corner to head to the gates she saw Genma making his way to the building, with a travelling pack on his back probably on his way to deliver a report.

 

“Not your usual team, tiny.” He shifted the senbon around his mouth, holding in a chuckle at her scowl. “Well, Riku-chan I recommend a leash for that one, she has a way to get into trouble that one.”

 

He waved over his shoulder chuckling as he heard Shizuka’s indignant huff and the other’s amused expressions.

 

“Ah yes, I’ve heard about your luck.” Rizu-sensei chuckled ushering them towards the gate as they all had their packs already. “Alright team, let’s get going.”

 

* * *

 

Two weeks later Shizuka got back to the village and went straight to the training ground her team usually goes in hopes of catching the end of their training.

 

She approached Masaru’s form as he sat leaning against the boulder.

 

“Now is not the time for slacking, Masaru-kun.” She dropped her bags and sat next to her teammate who jumped at her sudden appearance.

 

“Oh, thank Kami you’re back. It’s been hell without you here.” He turned to look at her fully. “Without you, sensei has way too much time for me and Kaito which means extra training.”

 

Shizuka snickered as she observed her teammate’s ruffled appearance before looking over at Kaito who was sparring against their sensei.

 

“Sucks to be you.” She waved to her sensei who had just now noticed her arrival. “Maybe he just needs a girlfriend.”

 

“Shizuka, how was your mission?” He gave Kaito’s shoulder a pat and they walked over to where the two genin were sitting sending a curious gaze at Masaru who choked on the water he was drinking.

 

“It went well, the bandits were organised but not too skilful.” She smiled at Kaito as he plopped himself next to her and pulled out a water bottle from his bag on the ground. “Also I bought you a late birthday gift! Here,” Shizuka reached into her pack and pulled out a small book, “It’s a puzzle book! Some are quite hard, but don’t I haven’t actually written in it.”

 

“Thank you, Shizuka-chan.” Kouta took the booklet with a smile, ruffling his student’s hair and flicking through the booklet. “I think we’re done for the day, we start again tomorrow morning at eight.”

 

“Hai, sensei.” The genin got up and picked up their bags.

 

“Sensei, could I talk to you for a moment?” Shizuka met her sensei’s curious look evenly. “It’s about something for after the chūnin exams.”

 

“Of course.”

 

The two waved the boys off who only spared their teammate a questioning glance before they left the training grounds.

 

“Rizu-sensei, Shun and Hana know I’m a sensor.” She adjusted the strap of her backpack before leaning back against the boulder, “Rizu-sensei noticed it and since she is a sensor herself she noticed quite easily. She gave me several pointers during the mission.”

 

“So what is this about exactly?”

 

“I know why I’m keeping the full extent of my ability hidden, but over the past few days the question of ‘until when’ keeps cropping up.” Shizuka crosses her arm over her chest as she looks up to the evening sky, “Several people know I’m better at it than what I’m letting on, and I know I can’t hide it forever, nor would I want to.”

 

“So you want my advice on the matter,” Kouta concluded only getting a hum of agreement from his student. “No matter when it comes up, you will be requested for more missions where a sensor would be beneficial and many end up in ANBU.” He observed his student’s reaction closely.

 

“This team because of our specialisation would be looked at for ANBU recruitment anyways.” She sighed meeting her sensei’s eyes who gave the smallest nod before looking back to the sky, “I have no plans for joining ANBU anytime soon, maybe after jōnin but who knows when I’ll make that jump.”

 

“You can refuse ANBU but your ability could be incredibly helpful in higher-ranked missions. You could be promoted first to tokubetsu jōnin if you focus on sensory before being a full jōnin.”

 

“I’ll ask Rizu-sensei for more help in the area for now. I might ask for someone to help me hone the skill after the exams but there are other things I’m more interested in.” Shizuka pushed off the rock and smiled at her sensei who just hummed in response.

 

“My troublesome little team is growing up.” Kouta smirked at his student who didn’t look impressed by his words. “Let’s go, you must be tired after your mission.”

 

* * *

 

A couple weeks after that Shizuka ran into Itachi training his shurikenjutsu, she sat on a high tree branch and watched entranced as he worked on hitting targets all around the small clearing including one behind a boulder.

 

“It’s you again.” He said as he landed, turning to look at her.

 

“Sorry, this is my way home. Pretty impressive.” She gestured around to the targets all impaled with a kunai or shuriken dead centre.

 

“Hn.” He narrowed his eyes seeing her contemplate something as she looked around.

 

“You wouldn’t happen to be willing to train with me, would you?” She focused on him and continued when she concluded he wouldn’t speak until she explained, “I’m training to use my non-dominant hand but while I have the strength to parry I need speed and dexterity too since those are more suitable for my style.”

 

“Speed and dexterity to compensate for size and physical strength.” He tilted his head observing the girl calmly, “What do I get in return?”

 

“Other than a practice target that will try to keep you from hitting dead centre thus keeping it interesting? I can help you improve your sensing, I watched you for almost an hour before you called me out.”

 

Shizuka grinned internally at his momentary surprise before he nodded.

 

“Alright, do you have some time now?”

 

“Jumping straight into it aren’t you?”

 

“You’re the one competing in the chūnin exams less than four months from now.”

 

“Fair enough.” She shrugged and took out her tantō, “How are we starting, Itachi-senpai?” She enunciated the honorific slowly while Itachi only closed his eyes momentarily before pulling out a handful of shuriken.

 

“Start with speed, knock these off their path, we’ll slowly add more.”

 

With that he threw them at her, giving her a few moments to knock them off their path before body flickering to a different position and throwing more. They continued like this for an hour, Itachi slowly increasing the number if shuriken and by moving to different positions faster.

 

“Someone’s coming.” Shizuka knocked the last few of his shuriken and he took in her appearance, full of small cuts littering her arms, legs and torso and one on her cheek.

 

They only had a few moments notice before Itachi’s younger brother burst into the clearing.

 

“Nii-san! Ka-san asked me to call you as dinner is almost ready and you weren’t home.” Sasuke ran up to his brother and only then did he notice her, “Hey! Who are you?”

 

“Hello, I’m Nara Shizuka. Sorry for keeping your brother, he was helping me train.” She smiled as the younger boy looked around his older brother to stare at her.

 

“Staring is rude, otouto.” Itachi poked his brother’s forehead who scrunched up his nose before nodding over to the girl.

 

“I’m Uchiha Sasuke.” He immediately turned back to his brother, “When are you going to train with me, nii-san?”

 

“Tomorrow, alright?” Itachi then gestured around the clearing, “Do you want to help clean this place up?”

 

“Hai!” Sasuke then darted to the nearest target and plucked the blades from it.

 

Itachi sent a stern look Shizuka’s direction as he noticed her amused expression. The two then joined the young boy in collecting the fallen projectiles. They collected the projectiles in silence and once finished they set up a time to train again the next day before leaving in the direction of their houses.


	11. Cheat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Poll update:  
> Genma – 48%  
> Kakashi – 27%  
> Itachi – 25%
> 
> Poll link:  
> www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks!

 "Speaking."

' _Thoughts'_

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

The day started like any other. Shizuka woke up did some stretches and laps before showering and helping her mother with breakfast before waking up her younger brother and all but dragging him down to eat.

 

She got ready and said goodbye to her mother before ushering her younger brother out the door to drop him off at the Yamanaka's house.

 

"Good luck, Nii-san." Shikamaru mumbled as Akira, Ino's mother opened the door to welcome him in.

 

She walked slowly to the academy building where they were participating in the first part of the chūnin exams. As soon as she went inside she was greeted by a slumping Masaru and an annoyed Kaito.

 

"After a year and a half training for this why, why must we have a written test?" Masaru groaned as they started making their way to the room to submit their papers.

 

"It will have an exterior motive, look underneath the underneath, and all that." Kaito shrugged moving to the stairs. "How did you find out it was a written test, Shizuka?"

 

"Surprisingly not hard to figure out if you look at the history of previous exams." They reached the top of the stairs to see their sensei talking to some other jōnin. "Kouta-sensei, come to wish us luck?"

 

"More like tell the other two to keep you out of trouble." He teased, walking over to his team. "Knowing you all you'll find trouble anyway so no point in wasting my breath. I know all of you are ready for this."

 

He led them over to the door and gestured for them to go in. He watched as they closed the door behind them and turned to Rizu who was still waiting for her team.

 

"Don't look like that, Kouta-kun, I'm sure they will find a way to cause you headaches even after they get promoted."

 

"Not sure if that is meant to console me or make me feel worse. Those kids don't need more complicated missions."

 

* * *

 

"Listen up! My name is Morino Ibiki and I will be the proctor for the first part of the exams." His eyes swept over the contestants before opening the door behind him, "You have been given a number when registering, make your way through the doors and find your seat and stay quiet."

 

The contestants started slowly moving into the room, team Kouta shared a look and fell to the back.

 

"Isn't that the guy from T&I?" Kaito mumbled as they walked slowly enough to be the last people to go in.

 

"Yeah, this will be fun." Shizuka smirked and then let it melt when she glanced at her teammates who looked apprehensive, "Stop worrying it's only a paper."

 

"Easy for you to say." Masaru pinched her arm before they split up to go to their seats.

 

Shizuka was in the middle seat of the middle column, while Kaito was a row down slightly to her left and Masaru on the first row down at the front and slightly to her right. From where she sat she could look at both of them but knew Masaru couldn't see her without turning completely and he could only see Kaito if he turned his head slightly.

 

"In front of you, there are nine questions which you must answer before the hour is up. Be warned, if you are caught cheating enough times the sentinels to the sides will remove you and your team. In the last 15 minutes, you will be given the tenth question." Ibiki didn't yell, but his voice was loud and clear, all participants eying the sentinels lined up nervously.

 

' _The test is hard enough for there to be so many sentinels? Crap, I'm screwed.'_  Masaru slumped and rubbed his face. He turned his head to the right and was first met with Kaito's raised eyebrow. He didn't risk a look at Shizuka since he would have to turn completely to see her, but he could almost feel her gaze on his back.

 

Kaito and Shizuka shared a look. They couldn't sign or tap a code to Masaru as he was too far. Shizuka considered using her shadows but she would have to be careful as there were so many people around that could be caught in it and she couldn't exactly see where she was sending it.

 

"The points are calculated in your teams, you need to be in the top fifty per cent of the teams with your points. However, all team members must have at least three questions answered correctly." With one last sweep of the room, he pulled out an alarm. "You can start… NOW."

 

Immediately everyone turned their papers. Shizuka watched most participants read through the questions except three participants that started jotting down answers immediately. Taking note of their positions she glanced down at the questions.

 

' _These are difficult._ _If I want to score high for the team it would take me more than an hour… But just how correctly do I need to answer these? More detailed just the plain answer?'_  She sighed and started jotting down some answers, pulling her hair out of her braid and letting it fall around her, covering her paper.  _'People are already starting to cheat but the sentinels haven't done anything only taken notes.'_

 

She chanced a glance at Kaito who had his head in his hand as he scribbled some answers. She was sure he could get the minimum three questions down and he was sitting next to one of the people that had all the answers if he figured it out he would be fine. She then shifted her attention to Masaru who was hunched over his paper his pencil still on his desk.

 

She straightened her back and looked up and watched Ibiki as he scanned the room occasionally sharing a look with the sentinels.

 

"Team three, Sunagakure. Disqualified for cheating, please leave the room." A chūnin from the side called and with a few complaints, the team left.

 

After that more teams started leaving. Shizuka ignored them she continued staring at Ibiki, who then made eye contact with her, narrowing his eyes but his face blank of any emotion. In response to his blank stare, she smiled and turned her paper around, making sure he saw the gesture and leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, her head tilting slightly to the side.

 

Teams were leaving around her and the guy sitting to her right was shaking before he got caught cheating. She turned to look at the sentinels and made eye contact with Izumo who only smirked and returned to writing down notes. She glanced at Masaru who had finally picked up his pencil but judging by the tension in his shoulders he wasn't too confident about this. She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers and then glanced at Kaito who happened to be looking at her.

 

' _Answers. Next to you. Left side.'_  She typed the code on her cheek but looked away and focused again on Masaru if she can get at least three answers to him they should be able to easily pass.  _'Damn, only seven minutes until the last question.'_

 

While Shizuka tried to come up with a last-minute plan, Masaru had just finished answering the third question, but he was pretty sure at least two of them were wrong. He briefly considered throwing a small concentrated genjutsu over himself so that he could look around more clearly but decided not to risk it. At that moment he froze up but recognizing the feeling of Shizuka's shadow possession he relaxed and allowed her to write down answers, with him putting up some resistance when she tried to answer questions he had already.

 

Unfortunately for them she only had time to write the answer to the fourth question before the alarm rang. In a second, he was released from the jutsu and he slumped, allowing the pencil to slip from his fingers.

 

"Before I give the tenth question, there are a couple of conditions that I would like to add." Ibiki turned the alarm off and let his eyes sweep over the twenty-five teams remaining teams from the original forty. "If you choose to answer the tenth question and fail, you can never take the chūnin exams again."

 

He paused for a moment allowing the candidates to complain.

 

"If answered correctly, the two team members with the highest score move on to the next round while the other is disqualified. Depending on how well they have answered the other questions, they may or may not be allowed to take the chūnin exams again. However, you may choose to not answer the question and if so your entire team has to leave, but you will be allowed to take part in the exam in the future."

 

A wave of murmurs passed between the participants as some looked towards their teammates. Masaru looked at Shizuka who seemed to be in her thinking position. Masaru knew that he was probably the one with the lowest score out of the three, he had maybe two questions right, not enough to pass so he turned to look at Kaito who was staring directly at him.

 

' _Not good.'_  Masaru signed to Kaito who nodded and they both turned to Shizuka who had still not opened her eyes.

 

Meanwhile, three teams had already quit. The comrades from the people giving up barely protesting. Shizuka felt the gaze of her teammates, but remained with her eyes closed, spreading her senses out to see what happened outside. The teams that left were being split up, one team out the door and two to a different room. She opened her eyes and briefly glanced at Ibiki as his eyes swept over the room finding the members of the two teams that had just given up.

 

' _It's a test, I can feel people being split outside.'_  She quickly signed the message and looked at Kaito knowing he probably had a higher score than Masaru, and signed,  _'This is the tenth question.'_

 

' _Support each other, probably another test outside then.'_  Kaito signed, exchanging nods between Masaru and Shizuka.

 

All three rose and without a word left the room, their tests in hand as the other teams had been instructed to do. They walked out and were greeted by some chūnin sitting at a desk collecting the tests.

 

"Your tests, please." The chūnin reached out to collect the papers, handing two of them to his colleagues as they quickly marked the answers. "Which one of you gave up?"

 

"All of us did." Kaito stated, sending a look to his teammates before continuing, "Not worth the risk."

 

The chūnin looked up at the first answer before nodding to the second. They looked at each other before the one who had spoken before locked eyes with Kaito.

 

"Even knowing you and the girl would have moved on?"

 

"The chūnin exams are usually a team competition until the last stage, which means it was unlikely to have been an option of dropping a teammate now to continue." Shizuka shrugged and then raised an eyebrow at the chūnin who exchanged nods, "Where we go for the next part?"

 

She ignored the looks from her two teammates and the amused expressions from the chūnin before they pointed to a door on their left.

 

"Well done, and good luck." They handed them three pieces of paper and waved them off.

 

* * *

 

Team four sat at the back of the room away from the other teams that had passed. Masaru and Kaito sat leaning forwards on two of the seats and Shizuka sitting on the desk, facing her teammates.

 

"What took you so long to use your little shadows?" Masaru whispered eyeing the other competitors to make sure they weren't listening in. "I wonder what would happen if we all had perfect answers."

 

"You were far, I would have to go through the aisle and there were too many people, it would have been hard to aim." Shizuka ticked off her fingers and shrugged, "And they would have found a minute difference in our exams and used that."

 

"So Shizuka you said the next is also a team challenge and it's a survival test?" Kaito questioned quietly too, keeping their knowledge to themselves was more important now than it had been before.

 

"Yeah, they will give us a few days to complete it too and we're expected to fight other teams." She turned towards the door as she senses Hana and her team arrive at the room, she waves them over before continuing, "You guys took a while to come out."

 

"We were arguing about the risks, as we all answered all of the nine questions." Kenji said as he nodded in greeting before flicking his black hair out of his eyes.

 

"We did consider the whole thing being a test in itself and when we saw you guys leave it just confirmed what we were thinking." Hana smiled at Shizuka's annoyed expression.

 

"Who scored lowest?" The Nara asked as she pushed Masaru to move down the bench so that she could sit, allowing Hana's team to lean on the desk.

 

"I had half a point less than the other two." Hana shrugged, "But I still had seven questions correct."

 

The six proceeded to discuss the methods other contestants were using and debating what the next phase would entail. A few minutes later the chūnin who had collected their tests walked into the room and with them Ibiki and some else they didn't recognize.

 

"Well done to all of you for passing the first stage. Shinobi must see underneath the underneath," Ibiki's voice immediately shut everyone up, the room's focus on him. "And information, knowledge is priceless out in the field, it could be the difference between life and death. This is your proctor for the next stage, good luck."

 

"Thank you, Ibiki-san." The man took a step forward, his burnt caramel eyes scanning the room, "My name is Seto Gou. The next stage will happen in training ground forty-four, otherwise known as 'The Forest of Death'."

 

Most of the genin shuffled anxiously, those from Konoha noticeably less than the foreigners. Shizuka took the moment to count how many teams had passed the first stage.  _'16 teams passed the first stage. Eight from Konoha, three from Sand, two from rain and grass and only one from waterfall.'_

 

"For the next stage, you will be given a gate number and a colour. You need to collect the four flags of that colour which are spread around the grounds. You will have six days to collect them and reach the tower at the centre." Gou pulled out what the flags look like. "Four teams to each colour, each will receive a hint to one of the flags, after that it's up to your team to find the rest."

 

"Tracking. Wonder who will be the first to find everything." Masaru glared at the team in front of him.

 

"You will have two hours to get whatever supplies you need before you have to submit these forms at gate one of training ground forty-four to collect your information. Good luck."


	12. Track

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Poll update:  
> Genma – 58%  
> Kakashi – 23%  
> Itachi – 19%
> 
> Poll link:  
> www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Also, I did not make the riddle in this one. Found it somewhere on the internet. 
> 
> Thanks! And enjoy this massive chapter!
> 
> xx  
> SC

 

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

 

"They coded the initial clue. Seriously?!" Masaru groaned as he sat in front of gate thirteen of the Forest of Death.

 

"Relax, Masaru. Shizuka and I are already trying to decode it." Kaito said as he and Shizuka stood side by side hunched over a slip of paper in Shizuka's hand. "But the black flag will be annoying to find."

 

"The other options weren't much better: blue, green or brown." Shizuka glanced up to smirk at Masaru, "Aren't you glad I went on a mission with the tracking team from our year?"

 

Masaru rolled his eyes before making eye contact with the chūnin at their gate.

 

"You three might want to get ready. It's about to start." Kotetsu moved to stand to the side of the door.

 

"Got it!" Shizuka cheered, waving the paper in the air.

 

' _Not surprised tiny got it that quickly.'_ Kotetsu smirked thinking of his bet with Izumo.  _'I hope they do finish in less than four days.'_

* * *

"IT'S ALSO A BLODDY RIDDLE? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" Masaru shouts as they run through the trees. "Ow! Shizuka!"

 

Said Nara had slapped the back of his head as hard as she could, causing the boy to slightly stumble and thus making him fall to the back of their little formation.

 

"Shut up, you idiot! We're trying not to be found! And pull your chakra closer, I would still be able to sense it." Shizuka scolds him, stopping for a moment so that they could talk, "Besides, I've got an idea of what it is, but not so sure it will be helpful."

 

"What does it say." Masaru grumbles, stopping on the same branch as Kaito and her. Kaito gives him the slip of paper with the decoded clue.

 

_You will find him in the mountains_

_And you'll find him in the creek_

_He has no mouth -_

_Yet he speaks in every tongue_

_He has no ears -_

_And yet will answer every cry_

_Always having the final word_

 

"What were you thinking, Shizuka?" Kaito turns to their female member who had pulled out a map of the grounds.

 

"Simple: echoes. There are caves spread through the ground, but lucky for us there is one cave here known to drive people crazy because they think they are hearing things." She points to a small collection of boulders drawn on the map.

 

"Fun." Masaru sighs and looks around pointing in the direction of the cave. "Let's go then. Also, anyone else annoyed we have to find a  _black_ flag in a pitch  _dark cave_?"

 

"At least Shizuka will have more than enough shadows to terrorize anyone we might run into." Kaito takes the front of their triangle formation again.

 

"Win some, lose some." Masaru mumbles under his breath.

 

Team four lept silently from tree to tree, with the two male members occasionally looking back at Shizuka who had her senses extended to the max, making sure no one was within her range. Every now and then she would signal that a team entered or left and whether they were heading towards them and their general position.

 

They would later agree it was miraculous that they actually made it into the cave without confrontation. Finding the flag inside was another story.

 

"Kami damn it!" Masaru rips another black cloth from between two rocks. "They are totally fucking with us right now."

 

"I wish I could see better in the dark, my shadows are pretty useless for the whole 'treasure hunt in the dark' thing." Shizuka groaned before she suddenly stopped and made a thoughtful humming sound, causing both her teammates to snap their head to look at her, that look meant she was up to something and likely could get her and or them killed.

 

"Shizuka, not the time for a crazy plan. We've been searching for an hour, let's get this done and we might as well camp in here, good shelter and several little nooks to stay hidden." Kaito rubbed his temples, sending the Nara a stern stare.

 

"But, Kaito-kun! Imagine if I could see  _through_ the shadows! I could have eyes everywhere!" She pouted, already pulling out a notebook and pen to write down her newest idea. "Besides all these black cloths will be great to annoy whoever tries to take the flags from us."

 

"Now,  _that,_  is a plan we can work with." Masaru grinned stuffing the cloths into his pouch. "I'm pretty sure we covered every inch of floor in this cave and we've found nothing. You sure there aren't other caves that echo?

 

Shizuka then facepalms earning herself amused looks which rapidly turned to understanding and annoyance when she pointed upwards.

 

"We forgot to check the ceilings."

 

After a long string of curses, Masaru glares at the ceiling as they all jumped to stand on it and continued their search this time upside down. Luckily already having an idea of the layout of the cave it only took them fifteen minutes to find the black flag with a Konoha leaf in silvery stitching.

 

One down, three to go.

 

* * *

 

Team 4 settled for the night in the caves, it would provide shelter and was out of the way and dark so they could easily hide in the shadows. They agreed with a simple rotation for watches during the night and split some tasks. Masaru went out to hunt, Kaito would stay at camp and set things up, including some trip wires while Shizuka would do some scouting.

 

"Any teams nearby?" Kaito asked as they ate the fish Masaru had caught.

 

"Two teams, one half a mile North and the other one mile East. We can scout them but I doubt they will have our flags."

 

"And even if they didn't they probably won't let us go, so we need to stay out of sight and hopefully they will reveal the colour of theirs." Kaito leaned against the rock wall of the gave and closing his eyes. "You two should get some rest, I'll wake you for your shift later Shizuka."

 

The other two didn't have to be told twice and after some moving around to get comfortable they were fast asleep.

 

' _Intel gathering without being seen, we can handle that. And although we are all good fighters I still worry. Whenever we've had opponents we knew sensei was always right there, able to help, now we are on our own. No backup.'_ Kaito rolled his shoulder and reached his senses out.

 

Shizuka had been giving the team tips for sensing, and although they were nowhere near her range they weren't completely ignorant either. The team had settled in one of the nooks of the cave and so they couldn't be seen from the entrance nor would they be heard considering the echo the place had. Kaito and Masaru could sense anyone just past the entrance of the cave and that was good enough for the moment.

 

For Shizuka's watch, she pinpointed the location of the two teams she had sensed before. She took note of where they were and if they truly were the people she had sensed before. Her watch went by quickly for her and Masaru took over early morning.

 

"Wake us up early, hopefully, we can sneak around the team to the North before they start moving."

 

Masaru nodded and waved her off. Sitting up against the wall his eyes trained on the main part of the cave that would lead up to the exit.

 

' _I wonder if there is any special way they organized the flags around the grounds as to make finding the other teams more likely.'_ Masaru pulled the map Shizuka had shown them earlier onto his lap so that he could trace his fingers across it.  _'We all meet at the main tower and if the other teams want to eliminate some competition before the next round they could hang around the tower. Hopefully, we'll avoid that.'_

 

As Shizuka requested they started moving before sunrise. As they approached the place where the team North of them had been staying they took note that they were from Amegakure. They sat and observed them for a while, luck for once was on their side as they revealed to have a blue flag.

 

' _Let's move to the next one.'_ Kaito signed over to his team as they stood on different branches.

 

Shizuka nodded and took started leading them to the team in the east of them. There they found a team from Konoha who had just found their brown flag. Signalling for the team to continue following her, Shizuka led them to the next group she sensed which was further to the East only to find the other team from Amegakure as they started speculation on other team's colours and which ones they would have to fight for a green flag.

 

' _Stop. I have an idea.'_ Shizuka signed to her team before she jumped to the higher branch of the tree, ensuring they couldn't be seen through the canopy.

 

"What's up? Don't tell me you think those guys were on to something with the teams?" Masaru asked quietly nodding his head towards the team they had passed not long ago.

 

"No, they had no concrete evidence." She shook her head while pulling out her map and a pencil. "Sixteen teams were spread across the grounds evenly, with the tower at the centre. We have gone one to the next team to our 'left' and now two teams to the 'right'. We have seen all colours except our own." Her expression was expectant, waiting for them to deduce what she had.

 

"You think the colours were spread in a pattern. So that no two colours would be next to each other." Kaito was the first to catch up, getting a nod from Shizuka he continued, "That means, following this direction, assuming they haven't already mixed orders with other teams, then we should meet another blue team before possible reaching the next black on."

 

"Well done, Kaito. If I had a prize I would've given you one."

 

"Not a dog. But thanks for the sentiment."

 

"Alright. So how far is the next team?" Masaru piped before Shizuka could respond.

 

"Not too far, they are actually heading this way, and guess what:  _six signatures._ " She smirked before making her way down to the forest floor and calmly walking East.

 

They didn't have to wait long before Team Rizu appeared above them.

 

"Please tell me you don't have a blue flag. I only want to fight you guys in the final round." Hana called down to them.

 

"Black." Shizuka pulled the flag from her pouch to show them. "We do have information for you guys. A team from Amegakure little more than a mile and a half in that direction has a blue flag."

 

"Ah great, thanks! That narrows it down." Kenji said. After exchanging some looks with his teammates he looked back down at them, "We tracked a Suna team with the black flag half a mile North from us a while ago, they shouldn't have gone far, but that was the general direction they were in."

 

Shizuka nodded and looked in the direction he gestured towards before nodding and thanking them for the exchange. The two teams quickly said goodbye and proceeded in the appointed directions, Shizuka taking the lead to track their 'targets'.

 

Team four took to the trees once more with Shizuka leading, as she reached her senses out to find the Suna team and luckily they hadn't moved much. As they came closer to the team they realised there was a battle going on.

 

As they hid amongst the leaves, they quickly identified the team from Suna and one from Grass.

 

"We should wait it out. Let them tire themselves and take Suna's flag once it is over." Masaru whispered to his teammates who all stood on the same branch.

 

"Yeah. Spread a little, keep within eyesight of each other but hidden from them." Shizuka pointed to a bush for Kaito and a hollow tree trunk for Masaru before gesturing to some tree roots where she would hide.

 

They broke apart silently and turned to the fight. Each taking note of the other team's weakness and strengths.

 

' _Even split. Suna has a wind user and an earth user, and then a weapons user. I can take the wind user with it being weak against my fire. Shizuka could take the weapons user easy, which leaves Masaru with the earth user for a earth vs. earth battle.'_ Kaito thought as the two teams battled for what was unlikely to be the same flag.

 

' _So the pattern of flag distribution is still correct. After Suna takes Grass' flag we will need to act quickly, before they have a chance to rest.'_ Shizuka glances down at her teammates who observed the match intently.  _'They probably know who their opponents would be, wouldn't be hard to assume who is best to fight who.'_ She looked back to the battle to see one of the Grass genin leave an opening in his defence.

 

' _Damn. A costly mistake.'_ Masaru winced as the weapons specialist dashed forward and slashed the Grass nin, forcing his teammates to come closer.  _'The Grass girl is a medic, but no way can that guy fight, and the other one can't fight against three at the same time.'_

 

Team four sent each other a look and some signalling later, they switched positions so that Masaru and Kaito were behind the Suna genin and Shizuka made her way around to be behind Grass' genin.

 

They waited patiently as Grass offered their flag to Suna who took it. Shizuka narrowed her eyes as one of the Suna ninjutsu users reached for their kunai pouch. With a well-aimed senbon, she hit his wrist and jumped down in front of the Grass team.

 

"You guys have a brown flag, useless to us. Get out of here, Suna seems to have something we need." Shizuka pulled a black cloth from her pouch fingering the material before pushing it inside her weapon's pouch. "Now, it's getting kind of late so if we could finish this quickly so that I can take a nap, that would be great."

 

'You wish, kid." The dirty blond earth user rolled her eyes as she stared Shizuka down. "Where are your teammates, did they get tired of babysitting you?"

 

"I'm tired of babysitting them." The Nara smirked pulling out one of her tantō, "Keep an eye out, our team is kind of a master of last minute plan changes."

 

And with that, she dashed forward full speed to lock blades with their weapons specialist's katana. The other two ninjutsu users looked around searching for her team that they didn't notice the Grass nin leave the clearing.

 

" _ **Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!"**_ _(Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu)_ Masaru yelled as he pulled the earth user down to the ground, leaving only her head above it. "Good luck trying to get out of that." Masaru smiled smugly down at her before turning to the wind user Kaito had just engaged in battle.

 

"Earth and Fire, your teammates have an advantage against mine." The weapons specialist, Doi, stated as he dodged one of her stabs and struck downwards with his own katana.

 

"Not to mention you're already one down." Shizuka parried the blow and twirled around him, locking eyes with Masaru for a second before kicking the back of Doi's knee, making him stumble forwards. "Got you!"

 

Doi turned around, leaning heavily on his uninjured leg and realised too late that he had landed just under the shade of the tree. Before he could take a step away from it, Shizuka had already completed the handsigns and her shadow connected to that of the trees, binding Doi to her.

 

She calmly reached down as if to grab a kunai from her right leg, which she didn't have considering she was left-handed, and instead started emptying out Doi's pouch.

 

"Found it! Masaru, knock him out would you." Shizuka called to her teammate who dashed over and pulled Doi underground with the same jutsu he used before, Shizuka releasing Doi just seconds before he was pulled down.

 

"Shizuka, present for you." Kaito pushed the wind user backwards until Shizuka could trap him in her shadows, and then allowed Masaru to pull this one down as well. Leaving the three Suna genin with just their heads above the ground.

 

"Now, we don't want you causing us any trouble, so I have a little gift for you three." Shizuka cheerily reached for her pouch on her lower back and pulled out three small light grey balls.

 

Without a warning she threw one at each head and pulled the boys a safe distance back, smirking at their wide eyes as smoke enveloped the Suna team.

 

"They won't wake up until that leaves their system. I'm estimating a little over a day and a half considering just one of those balls would have spread enough to knock all three of them out."

 

"What the hell have you been up to?" Masaru just stares as the Suna team started coughing before they went silent, the greyish cloud still hung around them, though team four seemed to be just outside the radius.

 

"After the whole flower incident, I decided to keep a poison and sedatives in my pouch as well as a general antidote." Shizuka shrugged as she stood from the now unconscious Suna team.

 

"Please tell me you haven't been experimenting." Kaito groans at the mere thought of having Shizuka explore poisons.

 

"Too troublesome. They have to keep paperwork for everything they do and crosscheck it amongst themselves for new discoveries and combinations. Genma recommended those, so I got my dad to get me some."

 

"At least we don't have to worry about you experimenting with them... That would just be a nightmare." Kaito relaxed minutely, while Masaru just looked bewildered.

 

"You find record keeping a nuisance but you don't mind building an entire room-sized mind-maps and sorting connections for any of our cases?" Masaru looks bewildered at her response.

 

"I'd rather do puzzles over paperwork." Shizuka deadpanned as she folded the second flag neatly before handing it to Kaito for him to keep it,

 

"Such a Nara." Her teammates intone together, bringing small smiles to all their faces.

 

' _Two down, two to go.'_ Shizuka sighed as she jumped to a high branch and turning North. With the second day coming to a close they would have to find shelter and discuss their next plan of action since the teams are unlikely to have kept the order of the gates as they fought each other.

 

* * *

 

"Something's wrong with our luck." Masaru stated as he suspiciously eyed the black flag with silvery stitching of a Konoha symbol, "How the hell did we get here before whatever team was supposed to grab it?"

 

The black flag was stuck to the underside of a root they had chosen to use as shelter from the storm. It was already noon of the third day and they had counted exactly two teams before coming across it, so the pattern theory was definitely confirmed.

 

"I guess luck is on our side for once." Shizuka grabbed the flag and once again folded it neatly before giving it to Kaito to put away.

 

"The other team could have been intercepted by another team." Masaru suggested as he settled down on a dry patch of dirt.

 

Team four shrugged it off and settled to wait for the storm to pass. None of them were willing to question their streak of good luck. They agreed on a rotation for watches so that they could get some sleep.

 

It was still early afternoon when the storm stopped and so deeming it worth to get a head start on their last flag, they emerged from the roots once Shizuka had pinpointed a new team to investigate.

 

"Those are some weird tracks." Shizuka pointed towards the ground where several continuous lines of indents were on the ground. "I wonder what made them."

 

"I don't." Masaru mumbled but was completely ignored by his teammate as she jumped to the ground to get a closer look at the tracks.

 

"We've been so lucky lately, I wonder if this would continue that or if it would restore order to our bad luck."

 

"Kami damn it, Shizuka, don't jinx us." Masaru groaned as his teammate pointed towards a hole in the ground.

 

Shizuka went to retort but stumbled back as a giant centipede came crawling out of the hole. Masaru and Kaito who had just landed behind her sent her piercing glares as if saying 'are you happy now?'.

 

"Fuck! I think I spoke to early." Shizuka groaned as she dodged one of many stampeding legs of the giant insect.

 

"You think?" Kaito's tone dripped of sarcasm as he shifted his stance, preparing for a fight.

 

"Kaito just burn the damned thing!" Masaru jumped to avoid the creature's head, before jumping onto one of the trees.

 

"I'll send a gust of wind to make it larger." Shizuka flipped backwards to stand at Kaito's shoulder. "Now!"

 

' _Well, that's three down, one more to go.'_ Shizuka groaned as she collapsed next to her team on the river bank some distance away after running to escape any attention the smoke would attract.

 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, team four passed the tower and didn't sense any teams nearby, but they passed a Grass team with a green flag and a Konoha team with a blue flag.

 

"Shizuka, any ideas on what team we're going to face for our last flag?" Kaito asked from the middle of their line. "Or at least a list of possible teams?"

 

"Sixteen teams passed, eight from Konoha, so likely two for each colour. Three from Suna, so one colour won't have a team. Two from Ame, so two colours won't have a team. Same for Grass. One team from Waterfall so three won't have a team." Shizuka slowed down slightly, the three of them falling into a triangle formation so that they could hear better.

 

"We passed the two Amegakure teams already, one had a blue flag and the other a green. We also passed a Konoha with Brown. Hana's team has blue. And we got our second flag from a Suna team who was with a Grass team with a brown flag." Kaito listed off the teams they had passed early on in the exam.

 

"We also passed those other two earlier today, Konoha green and Suna blue." Masaru pitched in, before he went over the list, "So, we have, two black, three blue, two brown and two green. The teams we don't know about are five from Konoha, one from Waterfall and one from Suna."

 

"That means that we will either fight a Konoha team or the Waterfall team since we already fought a Suna team. It will only depend on who didn't make it to their flag." Shizuka concluded sending a small smile over her shoulder. "We should find a place to rest, we won't be any good in a fight if we're tired. Hopefully by late afternoon tomorrow, we'll be on our way to the tower."

 

" Three days, maybe four if we don't get to the tower tomorrow afternoon. Not a bad time." Kaito commented as he adjusted the strap of his katana.

The trio lapsed into silence as they approached the river on the other side of the tower. After making sure there weren't any teams in the immediate area around them, they jumped to the forest floor in search of a shelter to settle in.

 

"We'll leave tomorrow before dawn again, we can skip other teams that aren't from Konoha or Waterfall." Shizuka supplied as they settled under a fallen tree, its foliage providing side coverage.

 

"Strategy-wise, we sticking with the usual?" Masaru asked as he slid into his sleeping bag.

 

"Split them up between ranges, but keep an eye out for the styles in case they are more suitable for someone else." Kaito nodded as he too prepared to sleep, "And when possible push them into Shizuka's shadows for a quick end. Shizuka, you have more of those paralyzers?"

 

"Yup." She stated cheerily patting her leg pouch. "Get some sleep, I have a feeling it'll be a long day tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

Just as planned they moved out before dawn. Shizuka led them around a Suna and a Grass team which didn't have their colour and continued moving through the training grounds. Shizuka made it a practice of sort to remember what their chakra felt like so that they didn't go after them again and so far it had worked. She sensed Hana's team going in the opposite direction as them, but as they were a mile apart they didn't meet.

 

It was just past noon when Shizuka identified a team she hadn't before and heading their way they managed to sneak up on the Waterfall team.

 

Or at least they thought they did.

 

The girl on their team threw a barrage of shuriken at the trees they were in forcing them to dodge and reveal their locations.

 

"Look's like we've got company." A boy with sandy blond hair and dark eyes spoke will a dull tone, his eyes flickering between the members of team four.

 

"As to not waste our time, care to confirm your flag colour?" Kaito spoke up after a minuscule nod from Shizuka.

 

The other boy, who had dark green hair and eyes pulled a black flag from his pouch, before stuffing it back inside. Masaru pulled a black piece of fabric from his pouch and showed it to them before putting it away.

 

"Great! Now to the fun part." Shizuka slapped her hand and drew her tanto, spinning it deftly between her fingers.

 

The girl who had thrown the shuriken before drew a handful of the blades. The green haired boy took a step forward and into a taijutsu stance, while the blond boy remained as he was, his eyes carefully analysing the Konoha genin.

 

With their targets identified, team four settled into their formation for the fight. Shizuka would take the weapons specialist, Kaito would go for the blond boy for what would likely turn out to be a ninjutsu battle, and Masaru would engage in a taijutsu battle.

 

Shizuka pushed all her focus to the dark haired girl in front of her. Just as she noticed a twitch of the girl's fingers she also heard the sound of running. The green haired boy and Masaru started trading blows while Kaito and his opponent simply watched each other.

 

"Masaru, projectiles, watch out." Shizuka ran closer to the boys and parried some of the projectiles sent their way, while Masaru and the boy jumped out of range. Just as they were about to land the ninjutsu user weaved through handsigns and launched a water bullet towards Masaru, who had no way of dodging.

 

' _Well, shit. Water user.'_ Kaito ran backwards and caught Masaru after he was hit by the water.

 

"Masaru we need to switch opponents. In ninjutsu, I'm no good against a water user." Kaito whispered to his teammate before nodding to Shizuka who took a stance between the weapons girl and them, ensuring she could knock the projectiles off before they reached them.

 

"Ninjutsu got it." Masaru glared at the water user who just cocked an eyebrow at the two Konoha boys. "Let's start that again, shall we?"

 

This time, they were prepared for the weapons user to use her projectiles to push the boys off balance allowing her teammates to attack. Shizuka kept using small gusts of wind to protect her teammates when she couldn't physically knock the projectiles away with her tantō. She could see the brown haired girl getting annoyed at the lack of her success, even when her teammates tried to catch Shizuka off balance, Kaito and Masaru would interfere.

 

Kaito who ended up against the taijutsu guy had to rely on speed because the other guy was obviously stronger. Knowing he wouldn't have to worry about stray projectiles and water bullets allowed him to focus completely on his opponent.

 

Masaru, on the other hand, was struggling to keep up with the water user. His advantage was that he was an earth type and thus strong against water. However, ninjutsu still was his weak point and in a battle totally focus on it was way out of his comfort zone.

 

After making an earth wall to protect himself from a water attack, Masaru took a moment to take stock of his chakra and glance over his teammates. Shizuka was fine, several scratches from weapons he hadn't seen hit her, but she wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. Kaito was panting but he too seemed alright, covered in bruises more likely but otherwise fine. Himself, on the other hand, was reaching uncomfortably low levels of chakra.

 

"Masaru, not the time to slack!" He heard Shizuka growl from his side, he glanced up to see her standing in front of him palm outwards after blowing a gust to keep the weapons from him. "You're low on chakra, this girl is showing no signs of slowing down with the damned projectiles. Take the taijutsu guy, I'll handle the ninjutsu user."

 

"But Kaito..."

 

"He'll know to go over to the girl." She smiled down at him and gestured towards the wall he had created, "Let's get back to it. Oh, and give this to Kaito, he'll know what to do."

 

After the second switch of opponents, the battle seemed to become even more vicious.

 

Masaru took on the taijutsu user. He wasn't as fast as Kaito but still faster than his opponent and managed to land some heavy blows to the green haired boy. However, he could feel the bruises forming all over his body. He was pretty sure he cracked a rib, and his ankle was slightly swollen.  _'This needs to end quickly, this guy is already getting the upper hand.'_

 

Kaito ended up engaging the girl with his katana, forcing her to pull out a sword of her own. While she was faster than Kaito, he was stronger a reversal of the conditions of his last fight. Luckily he was rather used to fighting someone faster than him, as he often sparred with Shizuka who would dodge his blows and not even seem like she had moved at all. He jumped apart from the girl as she tried to stab him with a kunai she had pulled from her pouch.

 

Shizuka was blowing holes through the water attacks, just wide enough for her to slip through unscathed. She glanced over to see Kaito reach for his pouch and smirked.  _'Time to cut this short.'_

 

At the same moment, Masaru gave a shout of pain as he was sent rolling across the clearing after getting kicked in the ribs. With a slight curse, Shizuka jumped over to block a follow-up punch that was probably to knock him out.

 

Landing in front of the green haired boy she blocked the punch and twisted around him, clenching her jaw as the boy shifted his hand to grip her wrist and twisted. She turned her torso around and kneed the boy in the small of his back causing him to stumble only to be gripped by Masaru so that he couldn't stand up again. Weaving through handsigns she trapped him in her shadow possession.

 

"Masaru, reach inside my pouch. I should have some of those balls." Shizuka whispered her eyes darting between the other two opponents who were being kept away by Kaito.

 

Masaru did as she asked and within moments the guy was surrounded by a plume of smoke. Shizuka helped Masaru to his feet and they lept out of range of the smoke. She put him by one of his walls and whispered her plan to him.

 

Moments later the remaining two waterfall faced off against Kaito and Shizuka. Kaito was the least injured but he wouldn't do well against the water user so they continued with their normal opponents.

 

Kaito pulled out the kunai Shizuka had gave him along with several others. With a quick glance at his female teammate, he threw them a followed right behind them. Weaving the same handsigns as before Shizuka latched her shadows onto the wire attached to her kunai and followed them until it's shadow connected to that of the girl. As soon as they did she trapped the girl in the shadows and Kaito who was just beside her threw a paralytic bomb at her before putting himself out of the range of the smoke.

 

Before she fully released the shadows she had the wind knocked out of her as she was slammed into a tree by a water bullet she hadn't seen coming.

 

She stood up and swayed slightly, her back was one big bruise and her head pounded where it knocked into the tree. Kaito was positioned defensively over Masaru who was having trouble standing up.

 

On the other side of the clearing, the green haired boy had gotten his teammate out of the smoke cloud, but Shizuka knew that as long as she got one breath of it she would be out for an hour or so.

 

She stumbled over to her teammates as they watched the green haired boy put his female teammate beside the other unconscious boy. Team four stood still, watching carefully their bodies tensed and ready to dodge anything the waterfall genin threw their way.

 

"Shizuka, one guy left but I can't do it on my own. You think you can pull off another jutsu or two?" Kaito asked quietly his eyes trained on the water user who was the only one still awake.

 

"It's three against one. You should give your flag up." Masaru called once Shizuka didn't answer.

 

"That would never happen," Greenie said his face set in a scowl. "Two if you can barely stand and the other has been avoiding a fight with me like the plague. Let me guess fire type?"

 

Team four scowled back. No one should doubt them. They were advanced for genin this battle simply wasn't the best conditions they could have had. From where Shizuka knelt on the ground, she took a moment to look around the clearing, analysing the location.

 

There were projectiles all around, some crumbling earth walls and several puddles from the water jutsus. Some trees had cuts across their barks from her wind gusts. The waterfall team was smack middle of the clearing, far from any of the walls and away from any shadows she could use.

 

And by the way, the guy was looking at the kunai she was sure he figured out what they did, which meant they needed a new tactic. The question was if she should pull out a trump card this early on. Sure no one was around, but they weren't going to kill these genin so they could tell what happened. And she knew if someone was good enough at concealing their chakra they could still sneak up on her, especially if she was to focus on the battle completely.

 

"Shizuka, looks like you have the first move." Kaito murmured, his eyes darting to the side towards his teammate who was still silently observing the field.

 

"Use a fire jutsu, I'll amplify it with the wind." She stumbled to her feet, stepping slightly in front of Masaru to stand by Kaito's left shoulder. "He'll use water to counter, I need steam and a lot of it. Masaru you think you can pull off one more wall?"

 

"You want me to block the steam from being carried with the wind?" Masaru shifted so that he had both his arms free instead of supporting him and scoffed at his teammates raised eyebrows, "Kind of common sense, besides I've learnt a lot from you two. Your smarts are rubbing off."

 

"I'm glad." Shizuka's replied dryly, before nodding over to Kaito who started his handsigns soon following with her own.

 

" _ **Katon: Hiuchi Yagura"**_ _(Fire Release: Flint Yagura)_

 

" _ **Fūton: Senpūken"**_ _(Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist)_

 

Immediately after greenie, as Shizuka started calling him, sent a wave of water their way, and right where they met: steam.

 

' _We need more, but we need a plan B too.'_ Shizuka exchanged a look with Kaito who seemed to have come to the same conclusion because a moment later we weaved the same handsigns, Shizuka noticing the immediately stronger pull on his chakra,  _'Hm, I wonder if I could identify release styles as they prepare to launch it...'_

 

Masaru who had already created a curved wall of earth to keep the steam from blowing away because of the wind gave a harsh pinch to Shizuka's shin, startling her out of her thoughts.

 

Shizuka looked down to see Masaru holding her kunai that was attached to the wire,  _'Since when has he been pulling that towards us?'_  She smiled in thanks and promptly threw the kunai towards the greenie and by the sound of his curse and the sound of someone landing on the ground meant he dodged instead of blocking.

 

As she started weaving more handsigns, Kaito reached for a paralytic bomb and dashed into the steam, their training in sensing chakra coming in handy considering he couldn't see a palm in front of him.

 

It didn't take him long to find greenie, as he couldn't move having been trapped in Shizuka's shadows. With a quick flick of his wrist the bomb went off and he dashed back towards his teammates.

 

"He's still conscious, holding his breath, I'd guess." Shizuka shrugged as he came out of the steam cloud. "He's the one that has the flag, I'm already low, I'll need to end this faster."

 

"Do it, we can give them a heavy dose of the paralytic and move on, just enough to recover and get us to the tower. It's only a little over half a day to the tower."

 

Shizuka stood and walked closer to her target, soon enough the boy had walked closer as well, mirroring her actions.

 

"I'm glad I'm left handed now," Shizuka smirked, pulling out a senbon, while her opponent simply copied the gesture and came up empty-handed. "Have a nice nap! I know I will."

 

With a flick of her wrist, the senbon went hurtling towards the boy, hitting him in a non-vital point in the neck. She then bore down on the remaining chakra and kept him in place until she felt his body start to slump.

 

With the boy unconscious, Kaito dashed over and got the flag, storing it safely with the other one he had. He helped Shizuka and Masaru over to the other two unconscious genin and gave them an extra dose of the paralytic to ensure they would be out for long enough for them to make it to the tower.

 

With all four flags secured, team four started to make their way to the tower. They didn't go far, with both Masaru and Shizuka too tired to move much. Kaito wrapped Masaru's ankle and ribs, and he took first watch, allowing his teammates to rest but kept checking on Shizuka for her concussion.

 

* * *

 

Team four arrived at the tower a little after noon of the fourth day, much to Kotetsu's joy and Izumo's disappointment. The genin would later find out from their sensei that the two had a bet going on when they would finish the second phase.

 

They were the second team to arrive, the first being Team Rizu and mere minutes after they did one of the Suna teams arrived as well.

 

They weren't really surprised Team Rizu had finished early morning of the fourth, they did, after all, have an advantage of tracking. And team four did lose a couple hours to rest after their battle against the waterfall team, so they were happy with how they came out of the test.

 

Later that day, a team from Grass showed up completing all four colour teams.

 

Soon after they called for all the participants to line up with their teammates facing the proctors from the two exams, their senseis, a couple chūnin that helped out and the Hokage.

 

Shizuka still not being fully recovered from their fight, her head still pounding,  _'Having a concussion sucks.'_ She grimaced as she placed a hand on the spot where she hit the tree. She stood at the front of her team, being the shortest she wouldn't have been able to see anything otherwise.

 

Much to her dismay, Kaito pinched her shoulder, obviously wanting her to at least try to pay attention. He was however considerate of her bruises and went for a place that wasn't injured.

 

"The last phase of the exams will be a tournament between the remaining participants. The first round will be a three-way fight from which only one person will move on. The ones who do move on are in a regular one-on-one semi-final, and whoever wins that will compete in the final." The Hokage's voice echoed in the room, which looked like an arena with a balcony all around interrupted only by a stature to one side. "Winning does not mean promotion, and losing does not disqualify you for a promotion either. Now for the proctor of the third stage, here is Namiashi Raidō."

 

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Raidō stepped forward after bowing to the Hokage and stood in front of the genin looking between each group as two other chūnin pulled in a large board that was covered by a white sheet. "The selections of your battle groups has already been made, it was done in such a way that none of you is in the same group as your current teammates. These will take place in a month's time, more details will be given to your sensei's to pass on."

 

Raidō then turned around to the board and pulled the sheet down revealing the first round, three-way matches.

 

Group A

Matsuda Kenji – Konoha

Hitotose Kaito – Konoha

Akagi Chikaru – Suna

 

Group B

Inuzuka Hana – Konoha

Ishii Aika – Suna

Mareo – Grass

 

Group C

Akiyama Masaru – Konoha

Aoki Biro – Suna

Ito Tadaaki - Grass

 

Group D

Aburame Shun – Konoha

Nara Shizuka – Konoha

Sano Cho - Grass

 

' _Ah, how fun, an Aburame straight off the bat. It's going to be a long, troublesome month.'_


	13. Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Poll update:  
> Genma – 57%  
> Kakashi – 24%  
> Itachi – 19%
> 
> Poll link:  
> www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Thanks! And enjoy this massive chapter!  
> xx  
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

After a visit to the hospital to take care of their injuries, team four waved each other goodbye and promised to catch up at least once or twice a week while they each prepared for the final round.

 

As she walked out of the hospital she was greeted by her father who had been leaning on the wall by the door, obviously waiting for her.

 

"You're in the finals. Well done." He took her backpack from her and ruffled her hair as they started walking home, "How was it?"

 

"The first test was easy, the second started off too good to be true and we got a nice beating for the last flag." She shrugged, her eyes darting to her wrapped wrist. "There is so much I need to do this month…"

 

Shikaku chuckled as his daughter slumped, reaching to ruffle her hair some more.

 

"Daichi is away on a mission but he should be back next week. I can train with you and probably get you some scrolls to start off."

 

"Thank you, To-san." Shizuka sighed and leaned her head on her father's shoulder as they walked the rest of the way home in silence.

 

Shizuka waved to some passing clansmen and her father nodded in greeting as they approached their house, announcing their arrival to whoever was home.

 

The family of four had dinner together, as usual, each talking about their past few days, including the fact that Shikamaru was now signed up to start the academy in two months. As her brother moved upstairs to sleep, Shizuka helped her mother do the dishes while her father enjoyed some tea.

 

"To-san, besides the wind and shadow jutsus I'll probably be doing this month, do you think I should add a third focus?"

 

"Splitting your focus might not be beneficial, however, we both know the advantages of having a trump card, so tell me how many of those do you currently have."

 

Shizuka thought back on what's happened so far. Hana's team knew of her dual tantōs, but no one else. She had wind jutsus which might already be known, sensing was again something only her team and Hana's team was aware of, so she had two maybe three trump cards.

 

"Two or three depending on others leaking information." She replied after a few minutes thinking.

 

"You would have three battles until the finals  _if_  you get that far. That's one per each round, you think that's enough?"

 

Her father had a way of teaching through questioning her. He would rarely give her an answer straight but instead make her work for it. Eventually, he might give her his opinion or a final answer but only after she thought it through herself.

 

"The battle themselves don't matter, right? It's about showing what you can do, so I could just show everything in the first round if I find myself in a losing situation."

 

"True, but a chūnin knows when to act and when to hold back, revealing all your secrets would cause problems for later rounds if you do pass."

 

"Fine, but I shouldn't really reveal more than one at a time, the least people expect a trump card the more impressive it is likely to seem."

 

Shikaku smirked at his daughter's reply but hid it with his teacup. And waited to see if she was going to continue.

 

"So, if I play my cards right, I can try to pass the first round with only revealing one or none, second round I can use two more and the last round, if I train enough, I can have two or three more, meaning the closer to the final the more serious I'd be investing in the fights."

 

"Which would mean you know that revealing things too early aren't ideal and you save your best moves for the arguably better opponent. Simple, right?" Shikaku watched as his daughter sat at the table and rubbed her eyes.

 

"But that means so much more training, not to mention I need to figure out my opponents and who I'm more likely to fight against in later rounds." She leaned her head on her hand and stared at her father as if assessing him, while he watched on amused at her expression.

 

"So how are you going to start?"

 

"New clan jutsu training with you. Maybe try out a new element, I know Kaito was planning on learning water jutsus eventually, I was thinking lightning to annoy Masaru and it would work well with Kaito eventually."

 

"I'll get some scrolls on lightning release, I know someone who might have a couple. I already have some clan techniques in mind for you. Say that makes one new trump card, our clan's techniques are something everyone expects from a Nara."

 

"Ah, well I had this idea during the second exam: when people make the handsigns they are focusing their chakra, gathering it before releasing. I can sort of tell how big or taxing the technique is depending on how much they gather, but also everyone's chakra reflects personality and style."

 

"You want to test if you can tell what type of elemental release they will be using." He deduced, to be honest, he was sceptical but not totally surprised. "That would be an incredible ability to have, but as you know you are well beyond my capabilities as a sensor when you actually try."

 

"Do you think we could test it a little? I'd need to have at least one person of each to get a feel for how each type feels before I can start using it in a fight."

 

"I'll get someone to help with it. Now, being a chūnin means leading missions, so I expect for us to play a game of shogi per day unless I am too busy with work, in which case I'm sure someone in the clan will be willing to play."

 

"Am I going to have any free time at all?" Judging by her father's raised eyebrows free time was unlikely to be something she would come by often in the following month.

 

* * *

 

The first week of her training was entirely dedicated to a new clan technique and reading on lightning jutsus. She had also spent some time scouting out the competition alongside Masaru and Kaito.

 

The boys were more than willing to split up some 'targets' and going off to see what was going on with them. The only ones that were pretty much immune to their spying was the other team from Konoha, one reason being they trained within their compounds so getting to them was complicated and another because they kind of already knew what to expect from them, they were after all in the same year.

 

Just as the first week came to a close, her uncle showed up from his mission and promised to stick around until the end of the finals unless an emergency mission came up. And so, the day after he arrived she started training some new wind jutsus with him.

 

"Shizuka, focus!" Her uncle tugged at the end of her braid as he walked around her observing as she gathered some chakra around her.

 

Shizuka frowned her concentration dropping even further. She opened her eyes and dropped the ram seal. She heard her uncle sigh and move to sit down on the steps to the back porch.

 

"Come and sit here for a moment." Daichi patted the spot next to him and passed her a canteen of water once she sat down, "What's on your mind, Zuka?"

 

"My group is rather odd, Shun has his bugs, which I can easily see becoming a problem, even with the wind to knock them off it won't be easy." Shizuka glanced at her uncle from the corner of her eyes, "The girl Cho, she's  _fast_ I don't think I'm fast enough she's also a wind user, from what Hana told me."

 

"You are collaborating with them?"

 

"She's the only one from Konoha in her group, and since my team scouted everyone we decided to share the info on the people with the other Konoha teams, they gave us info they had as well."

 

"Your father has more experience with the Aburame, I'm sure he has already imparted some wisdom on that front. If you're worried about the other girl's speed, train to become faster."

 

"I'll ask To-san to get me some adjustable weights…" Daichi groaned when he saw the look on his niece's face, it read 'I have an idea' and those never turned out how people expect them to.

 

"And here I thought we'd arrive to see you giving training your all…" A voice sounded from the door to the house.

 

"Chōza-Oji-san! Inoichi-Oji-san! Kouta-sensei!" Shizuka grinned up at the three men who were soon followed by her father onto the porch. "Not that I'm not happy to see you all, but why are you here?"

 

"We heard you had a little theory you wanted help with." Kouta spoke as he walked out to the field behind the house. "Your dad asked us to help out, so here we are."

 

"Ah, the elemental release theory." Shizuka hummed as she turned to Inoichi, "Inoichi-Oji, you're a sensor too, right?"

 

"Not as sensitive as you, but yes, I am. I have never noticed what you described to your father, so I'm rather curious about it."

 

"Alright, so how are we doing this?"

 

"We will perform jutsus and you get to just observe and see what you can tell from each." Her father guided her to the middle of the field and turned towards the others. "To make this fair, we won't tell you who is doing what, and you won't look at our handsigns either. So, close your eyes and get ready."

 

Shikaku then walked over to the adults who had lined up facing the young Nara.

 

"We'll aim the jutsus away from you, and we'll let you know on whose chakra to concentrate on." Chōza stated before turning to Shikaku and whispering so that only the adults were here, "Aren't we missing a lightning release?"

 

"It shouldn't come as a surprise he isn't here yet. He'll show up eventually." Kouta answered before he turned to his student who was already shifting on her feet anxious to get started, "Alright, Shizuka, I'm going first."

 

Shizuka narrowed her senses on her sensei's chakra signature as he gathered a small amount of chakra. She was vaguely aware of Inoichi's own senses brushing against hers, feeling for what she was trying to focus on. Her sensei had an earth affinity but she was aware he could use fire and water as well. It was kind of cheating to narrow it down that way knowing she was supposed to feel and not guess.

 

With that in mind, she focused on the regular, smoothly flowing chakra her sensei was gathering.

 

"Water." She opened her eyes to see her sensei release a small stream of water to her side.

 

"You weren't completely focused on that one." Inoichi pointed out, "I think I get what you said about the size of the jutsu though, his chakra didn't stir too much."

 

"It's odd. Sensei has an earth affinity, so when he uses water he has to convert it so it didn't  _feel_ like his usual chakra."

 

"So you kind of cheated." Daichi chuckled shaking his head, "Alright, at least you kind of know how and where to look for it. Eyes closed."

 

Shizuka obeyed and with another signal Chōza took a step forward, calling for Shizuka to concentrate on him. This time it was somewhat easier. Chōza's chakra was naturally warm and welcoming, identifying it was easy as he used to babysit her often when she was young, especially after he found out he would be a father himself.

 

"Fire. He's just gathering his chakra, no conversion, so its an affinity."

 

"Alright, let's make this a little harder. We won't tell you who will perform, you have to describe what it feels like and we will speed up the process on our end." Shikaku called out.

 

Once Shizuka nodded in acceptance of the new tasks she closed her eyes and focused on the five men in front of her. For a few moments nothing happened and then she felt her father's chakra shift. To her it felt odd, it was just him gathering chakra which left her confused for a moment before she realised what it was and jumped backwards, avoiding her father's shadow.

 

"Yin release. It doesn't feel like anything other than a disruption of the normal flow. I assume it's going to be the same for yang."

 

"You still dodged in time."

 

"I recognised the pattern, the path he made it take is the same for everyone." Shizuka shrugged before closing her eyes again and gesturing for the next person to go.

 

This time both Inoichi and Kouta gathered chakra. With her focus split, it took a lot more concentration to identify them. She could feel sweat building on her forehead as well as a headache starting right between her eyes.

 

She didn't open her eyes once the light was blocked by what she assumed was an earth wall but she did open her eyes to the sound of water hitting against the wall,  _'Water bullet against an earth wall, such a familiar sound now.'_ Shizuka thought drily. She stood still waiting for her sensei to remove the wall so that she could see the adults.

 

"Two at a time too much? We should probably call it a day." Daichi threw her the canteen as she rubbed the middle of her forehead.

 

"Yeah, when I know what to expect its so obvious what the elements are, but my focus has to be on the exact flow. I can't split my focus two at a time to that extent yet, but I knew it was Inoichi-Oji and Kouta-sensei."

 

Inoichi walked over and placed his hand on her forehead, easing a bit of her headache, chuckling as she let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders.

 

"You have got to teach me that one of these days." Inoichi just hummed in agreement and the two walked towards the others who had sat down on the seats on the porch.

 

"So what have you learned?" Shikaku chuckled as she sat on the floor in front of him and dropped her head back, allowing him to run his fingers through her hair.

 

"The elemental releases do feel different, but to figure it out is to concentrate on a minuscule detail of their normal flow." Shizuka looked up to watch the other adults. "In close range, I can identify affinities, while long range I can only get a general feel for it."

 

"Which explains how you all avoided so many confrontations in the forest. Most people are betting on luck." Kouta-sensei spoke causing most of the men to scoff at the idea of Shizuka's team being lucky. "To anyone who knows you guys, it was obviously something else."

 

"We did just stumble across one of the flags while looking for shelter." Shizuka shrugged before turning to her sensei, "If I'm familiar with the chakra its especially easy to figure out when they are converting their chakra to something else, it feels odd. And when they use an affinity its most likely a purer version of whatever the element is. Inoichi-Oji's water smoother and flowed better than that of Kouta-sensei's."

 

"It's a good start." Daichi reached over to pat her shoulder, "The more you train this the easier it will come, at least you know where to look and you'll be able to identify affinities, which for the chūnin exams should be just enough."

 

"That's right, we don't expect most genin to know more than one type of elemental release, so knowing their affinities should be enough." Inoichi supplied, an amused smile on his face as he watched Shikaku twirl loose strands of his daughter's hair around his finger.

 

"We can help out again later on, but I'm sure you have a lot to train already." Chōza stood up and after giving her cheek a pinch.

 

The adults and Shizuka all moved inside, while Kouta stayed outside.

 

"You're late." He called before two legs appeared hanging from the porch's roof. "You still owe me one..."

 

"You see..."

 

"Nope. She's trying to learn lightning jutsus so that's on you. Have fun."

 

"So mean, Kouta..."

 

* * *

 

She should not have told her uncle she wanted to increase her speed. Big mistake on her part. Her father got her the weights she asked for and warned her about not pushing her limit with just under two weeks left to train.

 

So now her mother had also decided to join her training regime and she gleefully would throw projectiles at her while her father would relentlessly go after her with his shadow.

 

A nightmare.

 

And her sweet little brother was apparently enjoying seeing her running around like a headless chicken dodging projectiles and shadows all over their backyard.  _'When he starts training for his chūnin exams he will regret it.'_ She thought to herself, eyeing her brother who was snoozing under the shade of a tree nearby but still out of range of her training.

 

' _I wish I could be there, under the shade instead of trying to dodge all of this.'_ She thought bitterly as she ducked under another barrage of shuriken only to have to roll sideways and jump out of range of her father's shadow again.

 

She turned her focus towards her father who was staring at her with an unamused expression on his face, likely from noticing her lack of concentration, a recurring theme she found  _'Maybe that's part of the reason people underestimate me all the time.'_

 

"Shizuka!" Her father barks, bringing her focus back to him as she smiled sheepishly. He sent his wife a look and she nodded, jumping out of range before walking inside. "You need to focus more, stop letting your thoughts drift away, on a mission that  _will_ cost you your life and those of your comrades."

 

Shizuka lowered her head and nodded solemnly before focusing on him again, waiting for him to make the first move and resume their spar. Once he was sure she was focused enough he went through the handsigns for shadow possession. He was vaguely amused his daughter hadn't thought of a way to counter his shadows.

 

As a Nara, she could use her own shadow as a barrier against his, and while he could overpower her, she could still hold him off for a few moments enough to move out of the way and even trick him to latch on to someone else.

 

He launches his shadows in her direction while sneaking one behind him and around the trees towards her. He watched as she made the rat handsign and momentarily he thought she had figured it out, but instead of forming a shield around her she stretched hers out towards the forest.

 

Before he could question her on it, she came close enough to the trees for him to launch his other shadow towards her, and just as he felt it make contact he felt her chakra shift and she went dark. His eyes widened as she was apparently consumed by the shadow and immediately released his jutsu darting forward to see what happened.

 

' _She's gone? Disappeared just in front of my eyes? What was that?"_ His thoughts were going on a mile a minute and he called out to Yoshino, who came running.

 

"What happened? Where's Shizuka?" By the hardening look in her eyes, she must have understood his expression because she immediately ran inside, probably to wake his brother.

 

Shikaku turned around to call Shikamaru inside when he noticed the slumped form of his daughter beside his sleeping son. He immediately ran over and turned her around, taking note of her shivering form and bluish lips.

 

Shaking Shikamaru awake he urged him to inside while he cradled his daughter to his chest and ran inside, grabbing the blanket they usually left on the couch and wrapped her just in time for Yoshino and Daichi to come into the living room through a different door.

 

"What happened?" Daichi moved closer only to frown as he noticed his niece's form.

 

"Hypothermia. We need to go to the hospital now. I'll explain when she's been taken care of." Shikaku pulled her against his chest and ran out the door.

 

His wife and brother on his heels, Shikamaru tried to run after them, but Daichi picked him up so that they could move faster.

 

They ran into the emergency area and Shizuka was quickly moved off on a stretcher, while the Naras were taken to the waiting room. Daichi set Shikamaru on a chair and sat down next to him, Yoshino taking a seat on his other side, while Shikaku remained standing.

 

Mentally, Shikaku was running through the events immediately before Shizuka disappeared. She stretched her shadows out and he had her cornered with his own. Then the tugging sensation from her chakra and then she disappeared.

 

He hadn't realized but he had been pacing around trying to figure out what his daughter had done.

 

"Shikaku, please…" His wife's voice brought him out of his thoughts, he met her eyes and sighed, moving to stand directly in front of his family.

 

"I had her cornered, I thought she had figured out that she could hold off my shadows with her own, but when my connected her chakra shifted and then she was gone." He ran a hand down his face, "It's almost like she used the body flicker, but it was different."

 

"She couldn't have escaped your shadows with the body flicker." Daichi leaned back into his seat and crossed his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "The hypothermia is a severe consequence of some our abilities, but you haven't been teaching her  _those_  abilities yet."

 

"For a moment that went through my mind, but I haven't even mentioned those to her yet, and it was different, she disappeared, from the middle of the field."

 

"I guess we have to wait until she wakes up to help us figure out what happened." Yoshino wrapped her arms around Shikamaru who seemed he was about to protest for a moment but sensing the atmosphere allowed her to pull him closer.

 

"Your daughter is the bane of the Nara, brother. Attracts way too much trouble that one…"

 

* * *

 

 

When Shizuka woke, she quickly took stock of her body and satisfied that it only seemed tense and a bit sore she turned her head to look around her room. The curtains were partially closed but she could faintly see the light sky, which told her it was the next day and she had been out for several hours.

 

"Shizuka." Her head turned to the other side to see her father on a chair by her bedside.

 

"To-san, why am I in the hospital?" She turned onto her side, burrowing further into the blanket that would usually be on the couch of her house but had been draped over the standard hospital blanket.

 

"Hypothermia." He leaned forward, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. "What do you remember?"

 

"I remember getting trapped, but my shadow was connected to the trees, I think I pulled, something, I'm not sure what, and then I remember falling and then nothing."

 

"I'm going to tell you a little bit about  _very dangerous_ consequences to some of our clan's more advanced techniques." He gave her a warning look so that she wouldn't interrupt him. "There are some techniques that allow us to shroud ourselves in shadows, make it into an armour and more. These are all A-Rank techniques that lower our core temperature the longer we hold them. I need you to tell me step by step of what you were thinking."

 

"A couple weeks ago when I said I wanted to get faster, I had an idea to learn the body flicker, I even convinced Uchiha Shisui to help out, so he taught it to me last week." She looked up from her clasped hands to meet her father's eyes, "Then during our practice, I thought about how I wanted a nap under the shade of a tree, so when I noticed your attack I stretched my shadows and aimed at another shadow, kind of like a slingshot."

 

"You teleported between shadows?" She didn't know if her father's voice was amused, sceptical or a little angry.

 

"More like travelled through them… I could feel this cold air pass me, but I couldn't see where I was going so I just released. All the shadows were connected, so I was dragged from one to another." Shizuka looked thoughtful for a moment but her father sighed and used a hand to make her meet his eyes.

 

"I need you to promise me you will not use it in the exams. It is a technique that could be lethal to any target you choose to attack with it as well as yourself if you're not careful with it." He held her chin in place until he was satisfied that the message had gone through, "I won't stop you from training it, but you need to promise me you'll have Daichi or myself with you if you do."

 

"This is one of those things that if people find out I'd be requested for specific missions, right?"

 

Shikaku didn't reply, but to Shizuka that was enough to answer her question. She knew her uncle had quite the reputation as an assassin, blame it on Kouta-sensei for leaving a bingo book out during one of their missions. And with how he was constantly out of the village, it wasn't hard to put two and two together.

 

"I need to get to work, I'll send in your guests." Shikaku lent down and kissed her forehead before exiting the room, holding the door open for the younger generation of Ino-Shika-Chō to walk in.

 

"Shizuka-nee-san!" Ino greeted as she jumped on the bed to sit at her side, while Shikamaru and Chōji pulled a chair closer.

 

"Ka-san told me to bring you this, she made your favourite." Chōji shyly put a bento box by her side, which she gladly took, taking a moment to give Chōji a kiss on his cheek causing the little boy to blush.

 

"Thank you, Chōji-kun for bringing this. Could you thank your mother for me? I'll try to stop by to thank her myself later."

 

"So, training gone bad?" Shikamaru asked sending his sister an annoyed look, "I was only asleep for what half an hour and you get yourself admitted to the hospital?"

 

"Oh, come on. Now my little brother is going to lecture me too?" Shizuka exaggeratedly moaned giving Ino a wide-eyed look, "You believe it wasn't my fault, right, Ino-chan?"

 

Ino giggled at the older girl and shrugged, before starting to question the girl on academy subjects. With the date for them to start closing in, they wanted to know everything they should expect when classes started.

 

Shizuka told them about different senseis and their subjects, she sighed dramatically for the ones she disliked and then talked animatedly about the ones she held a particular interest in. She told them funny stories and the best ways to impress their senseis so that they wouldn't get in too much trouble for arriving late and some minor offences.

 

That was the scene Daichi and Chōza walked into when they dropped by to visit the curious Nara.

 

"Good to see you're feeling better, Shizuka." Chōza smiled and ruffled her hair, "Alright kids, I'll be walking you home. Let's get going."

 

"Bye Shizuka-nee!" The three soon to be academy students waved her goodbye and followed Chōza out of the room.

 

"So, what are you calling this little technique?" Daichi sat on the chair her brother had been sitting on.

 

"Shadow travel? Do I have to name it?" Shizuka leaned into her uncle's hand as he ran his fingers through her hair.

 

"You'll come up with something. I'm rather curious about how you did it, so please if you ever want to work on it, let me know."

 

"I'm not allowed to work on it without you or To-san anyways. I can say though, it's really hard to aim where you are going."

 

"You can go to any shadow its connected to?" She could tell her uncle was also genuinely curious about the whole thing.

 

"Kind of. It's kind of like throwing a hook somewhere and pulling yourself to that location. But everything is dark and cold and so finding where you want to go is hard."

 

"Do you think you'd be able to go to any shadow without them being connected?"

 

"The only way to find out is to try it out."

 

"Why did the most troublesome Nara have to be the one to discover such a thing?" Daichi shook his head.

 

Shizuka rolled her eyes at her uncle and extended her hand touching her hand to her uncle's bicep and with a twitch of her fingers her uncle jumped away from her.

 

"Ouch!" He rubbed his arm narrowing his eyes at his niece who smirked up at him, "Was that a lightning release?"

 

"It's only a zap, you big baby, it wasn't even that strong." She rolled her eyes as he feigned hurt. "And yes, I learned about this in one of the scrolls To-san got me."

 

"It'll be useful, especially use it to threaten people who annoy you."

 

"Now that's a good idea." Daichi paled as she seemed to actually take his suggestion seriously.

 

' _Note to self: Do not annoy Shizuka.'_

 

* * *

 

Days later Shizuka met up with Itachi at their regular meeting place. They had trained at least once a week together and this would be their last training before the finals. It was also the first meeting since she had ended up in the hospital.

 

"Itachi-senpai, I have a favour to ask." She smiled up at the branch he was sitting on. "I've been developing a new jutsu but I'm having some trouble making progress with it. I was wondering if you could have a look."

 

"You're developing your own jutsu?" Itachi may normally keep a poker face but the twitch of his eyebrows gave his surprise away.

 

"It's related to the clan jutsu, I'm not entirely sure if I'm allowed to show anyone else this, but it kind of works like the body flicker." Shizuka took a step back to stand in the shade of one of the trees. "I can kind of travel between shadows, I've been working on it with my uncle and father, but we haven't made much progress."

 

"How does it work in theory? Explain it and we go from there."

 

"Well, my shadow needs to be connected to it somehow, then I merge, I think, with the shadow and pull myself to another point."

 

"Vague."

 

"Think of the second and fourth Hokage's Hiraishin, it's like that but I can't see where I'm going and if I stay there for too long I can get hypothermia." Shizuka rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I was in the hospital for it when I kind of stumbled across the jutsu."

 

"Stumbled across it?"

 

"I was sparring and then I just pulled myself away. Hypothermia sucks, by the way."

 

Itachi ignored her and activated the Sharingan instead gesturing for her to try it out. She knew she promised not to try it without her uncle or father, but they had hit a dead end and she figured Itachi would help if she ended up in a bad situation.

 

"The closer the point the easier it is, so I won't go far, also the closer the less dangerous."

 

Shizuka formed the rat seal and focused on her shadow, her chakra pulling it as if wrapping it around her like a cloak before she tugged herself to a place just two meters away. She felt the cold biting into her skin and then she released it, her eyes squeezing shut as to not blind herself with the sudden light.

 

She slowly blinked her eyes open only to see she had ended up much further than what she intended, but Itachi's eyes were still trained on her. He asked her to do it once more before he gave a thoughtful hum.

 

"Let's sit in the sun while you tell me if you noticed anything." Doing as she said, she collapsed onto the small circle of sunlight in the middle of the small clearing.

 

She stretched out to bask in the sun coming in through the gap in the trees as she waited for Itachi to talk.

 

"Your chakra signature moves through the shadows, I could track your moving chakra, but most opponents wouldn't be able to." He remains standing, watching the slightly younger girl as she relaxed. "But it spread, it was like your chakra filled all of the shaded areas, my theory is that you need to narrow it down, a single thread from one point to the other."

 

Shizuka hummed in acknowledgement to his theory.  _'Most of the clans' techniques are connecting our chakra to the shadows entirely, which is why I've been doing it."_

 

"Alright let me give it a go." Shizuka stood up and walked over to the shade of the tree.

 

Standing in the shaded area made it easier since she didn't have to stretch her own out. Once again forming the rat seal she pooled her chakra into her shadow. This time instead of reaching out with her chakra she concentrated on making it into a small stream and guiding it towards her destination.

 

Once she had chosen the place she pulled, and the same sensations as always bit into her skin. She opened her eyes to see that she had indeed arrived closer to where she wanted, though still a step or two away.

 

"Much closer than what I expected." She looked at the ground between where she was and where she had intended. "But it's hard to get my chakra into a thin thread, it takes a lot of concentration and time."

 

"You're fighting your instincts, so that's normal. But the thread is apparently the way to go."

 

"You're right. Thank you." She smiled at him before tilting her head towards the targets. "The usual?"

 

Itachi nodded and pulled out a handful of shuriken while she brought out both her tantōs. They returned to their usual routine of throwing and deflecting projectiles for a couple hours, taking small breaks for water.

 

As they gathered the weapons from the clearing Itachi's voice startled her out of her thoughts.

 

"We won't be able to meet for a while, I will be busy for a couple of weeks. I will inform you when I become available again."

 

"No worries. Thank you for all your help so far." She gave him his weapons which he put into his pouch. "See you, Itachi."

 

* * *

 

Shizuka was on her way to a team four meeting, the last one before the first round of fights the next day. As the month for training came to a close, Shizuka took two days off to simply relax and go over planning for her fights.

 

They were meeting up in a dango shop as it was Kaito's turn to pick a location. She easily spotted her team in a booth towards the back of the restaurant and sat down in the booth next to Kaito facing her sensei and Masaru.

 

"We're all here, good." Kouta clasped his hands on the table and gave each of his genin a long look, "I'm proud you all made it to the last stage, and you've all improved immensely from those first days as genin to now. So, I want you all to know that you've been a fantastic team and no matter what I'll be there if you still have any need of me."

 

"It goes both ways, sensei." Kaito gave a small smile as his teammates nodded, "Now, since we might be going against each other in the finals we agreed to keep the 'new' things secret, but how about the 'old' stuff, any improvements?"

 

"I've caught up to your level of kenjutsu. I might not be as experienced in a proper fight, but I can hold my own." Masaru smirked at them, "Everyone on team four can use a katana now, though Shizuka prefers her shorter tantōs. We should start calling the team-"

 

"If you suggest team katana, team blade or whatever it is that you were thinking about it I will ignore you for a year." Shizuka deadpanned, her warning glare stopping Masaru from finishing the sentence. "In any case, I focused on ninjutsu outside of my trump cards, so nothing new since our last meeting."

 

"Ah much the same for me, except I split it between kenjutsu and ninjutsu, so a couple new things on those two fronts."

 

"As a neutral party here, I'd like to say you all improved in the last month, and that although you would know what to expect from each other, don't underestimate each other just because you've known each other for long."

 

"Hai, sensei." The three chorused, something that both amused and annoyed their sensei, depending on when they did it.

 

"Tomorrow is the three-way fight, you all got information on your groups and on the others to help you predict the people to move on to the next rounds, and hopefully planned accordingly."

 

"Yes, we are prepared to counter most of what our opponents could throw at us." Shizuka leaned back into her seat eyeing the other two genin, "For the unknown, it will be up to us to analyze and plan on the spot, which is an important skill chūnin need."

 

"Alright, so let's go over your groups. Group A, people and known abilities…"


	14. Round 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Poll Update:  
> Genma – 57%  
> Kakashi – 23%  
> Itachi – 20%
> 
> Poll link:  
> surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Voting will end 31st of May, and more romance filled chapters will start mid-June if I can follow my plans on schedule.
> 
> I'm sorry for the slightly longer wait. Not only are fights not my thing, but I'm also in the middle of exam season and so I probably won't be able to update once a week unless I'm very inspired. Only for two and a half weeks so I can promise at least one update in that time frame.
> 
> Thanks! Hope you enjoy!  
> xx  
> SC

 "Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

The very next day Shizuka found herself in a closed balcony with the other participants waiting for their turn. Group A had already gone down to the ground of the arena and was waiting for the proctor, Raidō to give the starting signal.

 

Hana stood at her side leaning on the half wall to look down into the arena, her ninken sitting dutifully at her feet. Shun was on Hana's other side silent as ever, his eyes focused on his teammate. Masaru was on Shizuka's right side tapping his finger in a random pattern, anxious to start the first round.

 

"All participants are ready. Let group A start the first round… NOW!" Raidō called before moving a safe distance away as the three opponents prepared to attack.

 

"It's unconventional. A three-way fight I mean." Hana said as her eyes observed the boy from Suna attack Kaito only to have to push away as Kenji launched a fireball their way.

 

"They were probably too lazy to come up with a different tournament division because of the odd numbers." Shizuka commented, smirking as Kaito used a water jutsu to counter instead of dodging like Chikaru had.

 

' _He's letting that one out as a warning to Kenji that he had the advantage in ninjutsu.'_ Shizuka glanced at Kenji's teammates while the fight continued in the area. Both looked thoughtful as Kenji and Kaito stood opposite each other for a moment before Kaito had to once again to parry a blow from Chikaru.

 

"Kaito's got this one in the bag, doesn't he?" Masaru whispered as he smirked gleefully as their teammate landed a blow to Chikaru's stomach sending the boy skidding backwards.

 

"Hey!" Hana protested her dogs yipping as if agreeing with her, "Don't count Kenji out just yet!"

 

"We aren't but think about it. The Suna guy's expertise is taijutsu, and while it's not Kaito's expertise he's decent at it, and the guy's attacking using standard tactics against two different opponents, shouldn't be too hard to counter those." Shizuka pointed out, her eyes fixed on the movements below.

 

"And Kenji is a fire type, and while that's also Kaito's affinity, he also has water jutsus up his sleeve." Masaru concluded, sending the other team from Konoha a smile, "He's got a nice advantage, but I'll admit it could go another way."

 

"Kenji is  _fast_ Kaito will have to overcome that if they go to taijutsu." Hana argued again.

 

"Ah, but Kaito can occasionally get the upper hand on Shizuka, who is the fastest of us three. I'm willing to bet she's faster than Kenji too." Masaru looked down to the arena, "Shame we weren't allowed to bet on this."

 

The fight down below had started to get rather interesting. The Suna boy was apparently a wind type and had taken to throwing enhanced kunai at Kaito, who now had to dodge and counter both the Suna boy's attack as well as Kenji's.

 

' _They've deemed him the larger threat.'_ Shizuka smirked as she watched Kaito pull out his katana.

 

He had been using it openly in training sessions and missions, not even sealing it away while walking in the village. Most people knew he could use one by now, so he chose to reveal his new water jutsus for this round. If he was showing a second nature release as his first trump card than he must have had some interesting stuff for the next few rounds.

 

Meanwhile, Kaito was dodging and knocking projectiles off their paths while continuously attempting to put Kenji between them so that he wouldn't get surrounded. Luckily, he was rather used to having projectiles thrown at him, thanks to Shizuka, and keeping an eye out for the occasional fire jutsu in between volley of weapons thanks to Kouta-sensei.

 

Therefore, as he allowed himself to find a rhythm of dodging and occasionally launching an attack of his own to push his opponents to the same side, he started thinking of the next few steps.

 

' _Wind and fire, they could work together, but I can use a large water jutsu to counter that, use the mist to sneak up, and…'_ Kaito smirked as his fingers twitched towards the pouch on his leg,  _'I need to time this just right…'_

 

He launched into a run with his katana poised to strike towards Chikaru who immediately threw a volley of weapons which he dodged a couple and threw the others at either side of Chikaru, sneaking some of his kunai own attached to explosive tags with them.

 

Just as he predicted, Kenji started the handsigns for a fire justu and Chikaru prepared a to send another wind jutsu. However, Kaito as soon as Kaito activated the explosives, Kenji's eyes widened, and he jumped to the side his fire jutsu meeting with that of Chikaru's wind jutsu, magnifying the flames from the giant fireball.

 

Shizuka heard the gasps from the audience and smirked as she felt Kaito prepare for a large jutsu, she leaned towards Masaru to whisper to him.

 

"Doesn't this bring back fond memories of the Forest of Death."

 

"Different jutsus but same effect. What do you think he wants with the steam?" Masaru smirked and both team four members leaned forward to watch Kaito's next moves carefully.

 

They watched as Kaito reached for very familiar looking small pale balls and more explosive tags. Shizuka and Masaru both snorted as their teammate dashed into the mist as dark smoke filled the area around. Together the mist and smoke filled most of the arena, covering all three contestants as well as the proctor who jumped to stand on a ledge on the wall, probably there so that he could stay out of the way.

 

Moments later the mist and smoke cleared and standing in the middle of the clearing were Chikaru and Kenji, wisps of white smoke still drifting around them. Meanwhile, Kenji was nowhere to be seen.

 

"Shizuka…"

 

"Don't worry, you said it yourself, Kaito has this one in the bag." Shizuka's eyes glanced around the arena and landed on a tree. Even though he was masking his chakra, Shizuka was too familiar with his for him to hide completely from her.

 

Chikaru and Kenji both swayed for a bit looking around confused. Attacking in low visibility would have been easy, but Kaito hadn't done so. They looked at each other and prepared to continue their fight but before they could, their legs gave way under their weight and they collapsed to the ground unconscious.

 

The moment his opponents fell to the ground, Kaito jumped out of the tree and moved forward to stand directly between his opponents and looked up to the proctor who jumped down to inspect the two fallen genin.

 

"The winner for Group A is Hitotose Kaito from Konoha." Raidō gave the signal for medics to come collect the other two while Kaito bowed and moved to go up the stairs to see his teammates.

 

"You stole pretty much everything from that fight I the Forest." Shizuka shook her head and bumped fist with Kaito who did the same to Masaru with his other hand.

 

"I revealed my water jutsu, but with them trying to corner me I had to end it in a more general form." Kaito shrugged as they moved to the other two Konoha genin who were a little disappointed with the result. "Sorry about Kenji, it's just a sleeping drug, the steam diluted it as well, so he should wake up in the next hour."

 

"A little anticlimactic I must admit, but not all of these fights will be all that interesting." Hana shrugged and proceeded to move down to the arena as her group was called.

 

Shun gave Kaito a nod but remained silent. The four Konoha genin looked down as Raidō went over the introductions and called the match to a start.

 

"Did you notice the Sand's team members have their first names starting with A, B and C? Aika, Biro and Chikaru. The ABC team…" Shizuka snorted as her teammates gave her incredulous looks. "What, the ABC team is more specific than Suna's team."

 

"Do you give all teams nicknames?" Masaru shook his head at his teammates' shrug.

 

If Shizuka was being honest the match below was far from interesting. For the first half an hour of the fight, all Aika and Mareo did was fight each other and completely ignore Hana who was just dodged and ignored the entire time.

 

Aika followed her team's standard strategies and was painfully obvious to predict. Mareo, on the other hand, was pretty much a wild card. He changed his strategy every other move he made and although that would keep your opponent on their toes it left him at a disadvantage in the long run.

 

Aika and Mareo both had an earth affinity, but as they were evenly matched in ninjutsu they started a rather aggressive fight with Aika's scythe and Mareo's katana. The two were a blur of metal, slashing, dodging and clashing their weapons, while Hana attempted to interrupt them, but they would just move away and clash together again.

 

Shizuka wasn't paying too much attention by then and was instead practising feeling around the stands practising her sensing. She knew her father, Inoichi-Oji and Chōza-Oji and Kouta-sensei were somewhere in the stands. The first three probably sitting together, also probably accompanied by their wives and kids. She knew Shikamaru was there but wasn't sure about Ino and Chōji. She also assumed Kouta-sensei would be around the same area. She kept her eyes on the fight below but her focus on sensing those people.

 

Just as she found them, Hana's ninken all started growling causing quite a bit of noise. In a matter of moments, the Three Haimaru Brothers transformed and attacked all at once.

 

" _ **Gatsūga!"**_ _(Man-Beast Ultimate Taijutsu: Fang Over Fang)_

 

As she and her ninken come to a stop, and the cloud of dust that rose from the attack finally died down, her two opponents were found on the floor bleeding from several cuts and probably sporting several bruises from being thrown around by the attack.

 

"Wish people wouldn't hide what was going on with smoke and such, I'd rather  _see_ a fight end for once instead of seeing just the final result." Masaru sniffed eyeing Shizuka, "You better not do that in yours."

 

"Looks like those two are still going to put up a fight." Shizuka ignored her teammates look and nodded towards the fight, which had turned interesting finally.

 

"You shouldn't ignore your opponents!" Hana growled as her ninken surrounded the other two.

 

Shizuka had known Hana for a long time. Out of the girls in their year in the academy, she was one of the few that Shizuka could actually stand. She was calm, level-headed and reasonable while most other girls just fangirled over some boy or the other. Normally Hana didn't act like a typical Inuzuka, while most people from her clan were loud and boisterous Hana wasn't. But she had a temper like everyone else in her clan, and Shizuka knew that right now she was very angry.

 

"Ah, there's her Inuzuka temper." Kenji's voice sounded from behind them, causing all four genin to swivel around.

 

"You're awake." Shun nodded and stepped aside to open up a space between him and Kaito.

 

Kenji gave Kaito a nod and they shook hands. An agreement that there were no hard feelings from their fight.

 

"What's got Hana so annoyed?"

 

"The other two ignored her completely so far, she's feeling a bit left out." Masaru summarised with a snicker, "Looks like we found out who your next opponent is, Kaito. No way are the others moving on against an angry Inuzuka."

 

The genin snickered, even Shun seemed mildly amused behind his high collar. Their focus was brought down at the sound of more growls from the ninken below.

 

The Three Haimaru Brothers had all pounced on Aika, while Hana locked blades with Mareo. While normally putting yourself in the middle of a fight between to shinobi might not be the smartest idea, Hana and her familiars were handling the situation exceptionally. They weaved between each other, every now and then one of the ninken would turn and snap at Mareo pushing him further away from the other fight happening.

 

By the time the two groups were on opposite sides both the Suna and the Grass genin were covered in scratches.

 

Aika was the first to go down. Literally. She fell into a hole one of the ninken had probably made while everyone was watching the fight between Grass and Sand. One of the dogs was quick to latch onto the girl's neck, teeth not digging into the flesh, but the message clear: 'I win'. She forfeited knowing she had been bested.

 

The boy, however, puts up more of a fight. Mareo had been backed to the arena wall, and once the three dogs had joined Hana in her fight. But four to one was not an ideal situation and after several minutes of fighting, the fight came to an end when Mareo fell unconscious after Hana punched him.

 

"The winner for Group B is Inuzuka Hana from Konoha." Raidō called, another group of medics quickly rushing into the arena to collect the boy's slumped form against the wall he had hit after the punch.

 

"Slightly more interesting than the first fight, but the fights need  _more._ " Masaru complained as Hana was declared the winner of group B.

 

"No one wants to reveal all their tricks now, they are waiting for the stronger competition." Shizuka shrugged as she turned to face Masaru. "You're up next, good luck."

 

"Ah, thanks! I'll try to make it interesting." Masaru grinned and the three bumped fists again before he turned to head down, the other two people in his group doing the same.

 

"Good luck, Masaru!" Hana called to him as they crossed paths on the stairs, the Three Haimaru Brothers yipping in agreement.

 

"Well fought, Hana. Can't wait to see your fight with Kaito." Masaru smiled in thanks and moved out into the arena.

 

The participants of group C stood facing each other with Raidō between them. The tokubetsu jōnin called the match to a start and returned to his perch on the wall.

 

Biro made a fast break towards Masaru who instantly went onto the defensive, blocking and dodging the punches sent his way. Tadaaki focused on their fight and kept out of the way, but judging by the thoughtful expression on his face he was trying to analyse his opponents.

 

"Tadaaki is voluntarily staying back." Kaito pointed out, "Biro is fast, but I thought we found that he was the long range from his team, with his fire release."

 

"He was... But this is better for Masaru. Tadaaki is a long distance fighter with some decently powered wind jutsus, but its a disadvantage in terms of element."

 

Kaito hummed and focused on the match once more. The entire team from Suna used rather straightforward strategies, not too hard to predict, but Biro was doing the opposite of what they expected.

 

After several minutes watching Biro and Masaru exchanging blows, Tadaaki jumped into action, his hands flying through handsigns. He landed between the other two just as they jumped apart.

 

" _ **Fūton: Kamikaze."**_ _(Wind Release: Divine Wind)_

 

From each of his outstretched palms, a tornado appeared, each tornado hitting one of the other two genin sending them in a flurry to opposite sides as neither could dodge the jutsu while midair.

 

Tadaaki wasted no time in forming new handsigns and turning to Masaru, forming a familiar jutsu.

 

" _ **Fūton: Fūjin no Jutsu"**_ _(Wind Style: Dust Storm Jutsu)_

 

Luckily, Masaru must've recognised the handsigns because he flew through some of his own and as soon as he could, he sank into the ground, gaining coverage from the tiny dust particles that could've caused some serious damage.

 

' _I'm glad I showed some Wind jutsu's to the boys... If Masaru had gotten caught in that...'_ Shizuka narrowed her eyes on the settling dust cloud, her senses easily pinpointing Masaru's location.  _'If Masaru goes between them he get's surrounded, but if he stays on one side the other two could inadvertently help each other and amplify Biro's fire release.'_

 

Without realising what she was doing Shizuka started biting her lower lip as she thought of the possible outcomes of the fight. She was quickly pulled from her musing by Kaito who pinched her arm.

 

"Masaru will figure something out."

 

She didn't reply but returned her focus to the fight, pushing away her thoughts as to focus on her teammate.

 

While Masaru had a moment to collect himself underground, Biro started launching fire techniques one after the other. And Tadaaki knowingly held back from his Wind techniques, resorting to dodging the balls and streaks of fire.

 

It was an impressive display of ninjutsu, both of Masaru's teammates admitted, but they had faith their teammate would come up to beat his opponents.

 

Shizuka's head snapped towards the side of the arena where she felt Masaru's chakra and started tapping her fingers against the railing. While Shizuka was usually good at keeping emotions from her face when needed, she would occasionally let show her anxiousness by bouncing her leg quickly.

 

The reason for her sudden anxiety, Masaru's chakra started flickering, a clear sign he was preparing some jutsu.

 

Her eyes darted between the two foreign genin who had now engaged in a taijutsu spar, with the occasional ninjutsu thrown in between. She leaned forward just as Kaito did to watch closely as Masaru appeared above ground just to have to create use a wall of earth to protect himself from the collision of a fire and wind jutsu, which had spread slightly towards him.

 

With no time to remake the handsigns or dodge, Biro had disengaged from Tadaaki to kand a solid punch to Masaru's torso, causing the Konoha genin to fly towards the arena wall.

 

"He's out. His chakra signature stabilised to 'sleep' mode."

 

"Damn... If he had just timed it right..." Kaito watched as Raidō checked his teammate and called for the medics to take him from the field.

 

"The guy from Suna and Masaru were well matched in taijutsu, although the guy had a slight edge on speed. And Masaru isn't much of a ninjutsu user, he would've stayed defensive too long in that."

 

"True, but he could have planed around it. His wall, if it went around Tadaaki, he wouldn't have been able to escape, so that's one opponent down." Shizuka sighed as Masaru disappeared from view into one of the passages below.

 

"As for Suna guy, he could've taken him short range, he's able to get the upper hand on Shizuka every now and then... And with some layered genjutsu, he would've had it." Kaito added as he grudgingly focused on the last two contestants.

 

With one opponent out of the way, Biro seemed to up the ante, his fire jutsu becoming slightly more intense as well as more frequent. He seemed to effortlessly block and dodge Tadaaki's blade.

 

Tadaaki also seemed to visibly tire from the incessant attacks, after receiving a punch to the thigh, he stumbled and couldn't regain his balance in time. But before he could fall to the ground, Biro was there sending a roundhouse kick, sending the fallen genin into one of the sides of the arena with enough force to leave cracks on the wall.

 

"The winner for Group C is Aoki Biro from Suna." As soon as Raidō calls out the result medics rushed in with a stretcher for Tadaaki from the arena.

 

From where Kouta was sitting he could just see the participants' balcony. He watched Masaru approach his teammates who opened up a space between them for Masaru to stand between them. He saw as Kaito pinched the bridge if his nose as Masaru's head snapped towards Shizuka who turned to lean back onto the railing, her shoulders shaking with what he assumed was laughter.  _'For all that they've grown, not that much has truly changed.'_

 

Just as this happened, Team Four's genin were telling Masaru about what they observed, promising the boy that they would walk the fight through with him so that he could learn from it.

 

"Now it's you, Shizuka. Try to make it interesting would you." Masaru smiled gratefully at his teammates and they did their now customary fist bump.

 

"I'll see what I can do..." She winked before moving out of the balcony, her being the last person of her group to leave.

 

As she stepped out into the arena she took note of how big the place was. From where she had been on the balcony it didn't seem as large, but standing at the bottom, seeing the walls rising all around her and then the rows and rows of seats was quite an experience.

 

"Round 1, Group D, the fight starts now." Raidō called as soon as all three genin were introduced just all the fights before, he then jumped onto his ledge overlooking the arena.

 

Moments later, Shizuka had already been engaged in combat with Cho, who had run full speed – and it was  _fast_  – at her. Gritting her teeth she pulled out her tantō and pushed herself to match the fast pace of her opponent.

 

While Shizuka knew she wasn't as fast as most Jōnin, she was considered fast amongst several of her fellow genin of the Leaf, possibly even a handful of chūnin could be matched. And even after all that speed training, she could tell that Cho was faster. She could hold her own for a fair amount of time, but Cho would eventually outlast her.

 

Knowing that the pushed more strength into pushing Cho back, her tantō glowing with wind chakra to add some edge to her blows. And just as Cho backed away just enough for her to weave handsigns she unleashed a strong gust of wind, that would have left several cuts along Cho's body had she been caught in it.

 

But she wasn't.

 

Shizuka was anxious. Shun's bugs were small enough to slip past her senses, and while she had two opponents she couldn't concentrate on both. She knew she had to stay away from the bugs that could absorb her chakra.

 

For a sensory type, the kikaichū were usually a nightmare. They were small and you wouldn't usually pick up on their chakra points but they could be used as a jamming ability to confuse sensors. And Shizuka  _hated_ those. She even considered asking Shun to help her train her sensory abilities after said abilities were revealed.

 

Shizuka jumped back from Cho's katana strike.

 

' _Ah, think about future training later.'_ Shizuka took a deep breath and attempted to push Cho back again with another wind release.

 

" _ **Fūton: Reppūshō"**_ _(Wind Style: Gale Palm)_

 

Quickly repeating the handsigns as she caught sight of a small swarm of bugs from her right. Shizuka had no intention of dealing heavy damage to the Aburame's insects, and so was careful to push just enough chakra to push them out of her way and moving away from them.

 

After a few more repeats of Shun sending insects either her way or towards Cho he realised both opponents were quick enough to dodge the individual strikes, so he started to set up the insects to corner them.

 

Noticing this Shizuka started to use a wind wall that went totally around her, protecting her from all sides, and throwing whatever bugs came into contact with it into a spiral that sent them away from her.

 

Meanwhile, Cho seemed to have a bit more difficult, probably not used to deflecting such small creatures. And although she still hadn't been hit, Shun was getting better at predicting her movements and it was only a matter of time before they got her.

 

' _If only they were a bit faster...'_ Shizuka sighed and sent another gale palm towards Cho who had made a run for her as soon as her wind wall dissipated. _'She won't be able to reach me before I sense her, even if I am distracted by Shun's little friends.'_

 

Just as she completed the handsigns for a second gust of wind, she noticed the insects moving towards Cho and the gust of wind. Smirking she threw a gust at them to knock them off course.

 

For a moment she considered the body flicker but decided to save that one for later. And so she pushed herself to her top speed, and reached for a little bag inside her pouch and grabbed pressed it into her palm.

 

Cho glanced at her hand as she approached but had to focus on Shizuka's left hand that had her tantō.

 

When she was sure she had what she wanted in hand she took a step closer to the Grass nin, their blades sliding against each other. Once she was close enough, she released for her second tantō from a hidden strap to her back.

 

Once Cho noticed the second blade, Cho disengaged their blades and spun away, allowing Shizuka stick the blades into the ground and forming quick handsigns for the wind wall. This time making it around her and the other girl, and with a quick flick of her wrist, the contents of the little bag slipped into the air.

 

Satisfied with the action, Shizuka used the cover of the rapidly dissipating wall of wind to bite into a capsule she got from her pouch and jumping to engage Cho in another fight with their blades.

 

With two blades in hand, Shizuka had the edge of being able to strike twice and although Cho was fast, she couldn't block everything. Once she was satisfied with their position in relation to Shun and the swarm of insects that was currently trying to corner them, Shizuka jumped back and sheathed her blades. Cho immediately followed, but the Nara launched into the air already performing handsigns for a gust of wind.

 

This time she didn't interfere with the bugs trying to get some speed off the wind and moments later Cho fell to the ground covered in insects.

 

' _Now for the Aburame...'_ Shizuka and Shun jumped to the other side of the arena, allowing space for the medics to move the unconscious girl out of the way of the fight.  _'His bugs should be contaminated, so they will be slower.'_

 

With only one opponent, Shizuka could now focus completely on Shun's chakra. While he was unlikely to use any nature releases she could try to pinpoint his kikaichū which would be a nice practice.

 

' _Ah, there it is again. I'm fairly certain this is what annoys everyone I spar with.'_ She could almost hear her father's and sensei's voices yelling at her to focus on their training rather than planning another exercise.

 

As she stood facing Shun, she took a moment to glance around the arena. They weren't close to any of the walls and there wasn't any coverage around them, so shadows would be hard to come by. The bugs were also too small for her to properly use theirs so that was also out.

 

Her blades would also be useless as she could keep trying to hit tiny bugs with them so that already cut down most of her options since she didn't want to reveal more any other tricks. While she could try to create shadows with bombs or anything else when against another Konoha nin who knew to dance around the shadows would be a little annoying to plan around that.

 

Which meant her best option was her wind jutsu. Scanning the arena once more darted to the side, towards the shaded wall of the arena, Shun's bugs forming a barrier to keep her from the shadows. Jumping back to avoid the critters she weaved through handsigns.

 

" _ **Fūton: Fūjin no Jutsu."**_ _(Wind Style: Dust Storm Jutsu)_ The cloud of dust released was not aimed towards Shun or his bugs, but rather to create a corridor between itself and the shadows along the walls. Landing between the dust cloud and the arena walls she had direct access to Shun, who either went to the wall or through the dust.

 

Bringing her two tantōs out again she blocked a barrage of shuriken while occasionally dodging swarms of bugs trying to latch onto her. Taking quick note of the rapidly dissipating dust cloud she weaves more handsigns to raise the dust particles back into the air, this time spreading it a bit more and going into the cloud.

 

With such a low visibility she relied on her senses to pinpoint Shun's position and moving through the cloud with her chakra compressed she reached towards her normal smoke bombs.

 

" _ **Fūton: Fūjin no Jutsu."**_ _(Wind Style: Dust Storm Jutsu)_ She whispered, adding her smoke bombs on either side of the new column of dust.

 

Shun now had to stay in the smoke unless wanted to get hundreds of cuts from the dust particles released. She smirked as she noticed Shun's signature jump into the air and around the cloud of dust and smoke, once again putting him away from the shadows. Weaving some more handsigns she allowed the clouds to dissipate and concentrated on staying away from any bugs sneaking up on her.

 

With some enhanced swipes of her tantōs, she forced Shun to dodge slashes of wind, and the just as he was within range she reached with her shadow towards him, smiling in satisfaction when she felt it connect.

 

"Shadow possession complete." She narrowed her eyes at the momentary lack of response from Shun and mentally cursed when she heard the buzzing coming from under her.  _'Bugs from underground, fun.'_

 

Instead of reaching for a senbon in her pocket she reached for the last few smoke bombs and threw them with maximum strength at the ground, the small capsules immediately bursting. With a quick wind jutsu to spread the smoke out faster, she quickly moved through the smoke while thanking her lucky stars that her previous poison had slowed the bugs enough for her to make that escape.

 

She stopped just before leaving the coverage of the smoke and reached her senses to the bugs, drawing them to her location, the furthest away from Shun as the smoke would allow her.

 

As she felt them approaching she let them come as close as she dared before she body flickered in the opposite direction, landing herself on the side of a wall, where she latched onto the shadows once more.

 

Ever since Itachi had helped her with her new jutsu she had resumed training it with her father and uncle. They were surprised with the development she had made from one day to the other but didn't question her directly, though she was pretty sure they had an idea of what she had done. Anyways, by latching onto the shadows of the side of the arena she had that escape line ready to go, but her main objective was to trap Shun and his bugs.

 

With her back up plan set up, she ran forwards, her tantōs slashing while infused with chakra to keep the bugs away from her. Just as she closed in she made a wind dome around Shun, which would keep him and whatever bugs were there inside.

 

She gathered the shadows at her feet and pushed them around the dome. While the shadows crawled up the wind structure, Shizuka kept an eye out for stray bugs, but none came. Once she allowed the wind to dissipate, silence took over the stadium, even the buzzing of Shun's bugs seemed quieter despite her proximity.

 

"Shun, I can compress the Shadow Dome and there is no way to escape them. You and your bugs are trapped, they can't get out, although the ones out here can go in."

 

When no response came Shizuka sighed and pulled the shadows closer, the Dome compressing until you could only see Shun's figure outlined in shadows. Walking closer she tapped her hand against his shoulder, Shun's figure visibly flinching from the slight shock he received.

 

"I forfeit. I cannot exit or even move, and she could have already knocked me unconscious by now." Came the slightly reluctant call from the Aburame.

 

"The winner for Group D is Nara Shizuka from Konoha," Raidō called, the medics rushing over and helping Shun onto a stretcher, as the boy had collapsed, the visible part face looking pale with a tinge of blue. "The two semi-finals will occur tomorrow. Well done and good luck to the four competing in them."

 

Shizuka sighed and removed her jacket, folding it over one of her arms as she moved towards the participant's balcony where she met with her two teammates and her sensei, all of whom raised their eyebrow at her discarded jacket.

 

"So, you poisoned the insects and then just used some nice standard Nara techniques with a pretty standard plan to take down Shun. Clever." Kaito nodded in approval as she approached, the three genin quickly doing their little fist-bump.

 

"What did you use against the insects anyway? And how did it not affect anyone else?"

 

"Ahh, well… When Shun was going after Cho, I realised his plan, so I sent a gust of wind with some special power towards her, which got caught in her clothes, so when Shun's bugs came into contact with her they were covered in it. So even if Shun didn't take her down the poison would eventually. And from there it got to him as well, but they were such small portions that it would've taken a while for him to feel it's effects."

 

"You used his plan against him. Nice." Masaru smirked before he narrowed his eyes again at the jacket. "Wait, you haven't answered what it was or the consequences."

 

"Well, so that flower…"

 

"Oh Kami, no." Masaru slapped his forehead while the other two just sweat dropped at their female teammates' sheepish expression.

 

"I asked Genma if he still had a sample, and with the help of the Nara research and Development they developed a synthetic one, so it lowered the temperature of the body and slowed movement but not a fatal poison."

 

"I'm fairly certain the Hokage will one day regret ever assigning Genma to our team." Kouta shook his head before gesturing his students out of the room, "Let's go find your families, I'm sure they want to congratulate you all."


	15. Semi-Finals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Poll update:  
> Genma – 61%  
> Kakashi – 22%  
> Itachi – 17%
> 
> Poll link:  
> Surveymonkey.com.uk/r/V6GFDLM
> 
> Again, poll closes end of May.

 

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

 

The following morning team four met at the entrance of the arena, their families and sensei a few meters away talking to each other.

 

"You two better win! I want a team four final." Masaru crossed his arms and gave both of them pointed stares, "Kaito come up with your own plan, stop copying old strategies. Shizuka avenge me."

 

Shizuka just stared at him with a bored expression while Kaito just huffed before offering his fist.

 

"I'll be sitting with your families and Kouta-sensei. Make it interesting." Masaru bumped fists with Kaito and offered a hand to Shizuka who rolled her eyes and bumped fists with the boys.

 

"See you later, Masaru." Shizuka and Kaito walked off, waving to their families before disappearing into the contestants' entrance.

 

The three families and Kouta made their way to the stands, Inoichi and Chōza joining them several minutes later, just as the first two finalists were introduced.

 

"Kids not joining you today?" Shikaku greeted his close friends as the other two settled next to him.

 

"Ino is at a friend's but, she'll come for the final." Inoichi smirked at his friend's raised eyebrows, "Come now, Shikaku, I find it hard to imagine your daughter not in the final."

 

"Chōji got stuck with chores because someone convinced him to nap instead of completing them yesterday afternoon." Chōza sent an amused expression at Shikamaru who slumped into his seat and leaned slightly forward to get a better view of the match. "But he said he'd try to finish fast to watch Shizuka's match."

 

Inoichi snickered and was about to make a comment but was interrupted by the sound of the bell signifying the start of the match.

 

Kaito and Hana stared at each other for a moment after the starting signal. In those moments an understanding passed between them. No matter the outcome it was all in good spirits.

 

With a quick nod of her head, the Three Haimaru Brothers surrounded Kaito, who lowered his head and focused on his sense of hearing and expanded his sensory skills. Which while weren't too impressive, Shizuka had made sure to teach the basics to her teammates so that they could at the very least get her attention without ever moving.

 

' _I'll keep a ten-meter extension as a precaution. I'll still be able to focus on any other attacks while keeping a decent warning for them trying to sneak up on my back.'_

 

Once he was satisfied with the radius of his sensory perception he could practically  _see_ Shizuka's smirk if she found out he was relying on that skill for this fight.

 

For the first several minutes of Semi-Final one, Kaito was forced to dodge attacks from all sides, all impeccably timed, which had him relying on heavier blows to clear a path and quick sprints to distance himself from his opponents.

 

"Not bad, you're good at dodging." Hana smirked as he slid away from between the attack of two of her ninken as well as knocking several kunai off their course with his katana.

 

"You forget that there is a Nara on my team. You should try dodging  _shadows._ Let me tell you they are  _everywhere._ " Kaito shrugged, an amused expression taking over his features as he remembered all the 'dodging' drills Kouta-sensei put them through. Most of which had Nara's shadow jutsus being the main threat.

 

Hana smirked and reached for some pills in her pouch, her ninken taking position next to her.

 

' _Ah, so we're taking it a notch up already.'_ Kaito smirked and put his katana in its sheath on his back before assuming a more attentive stance, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.

 

"Ah seems like Kaito is finally going to take this seriously," Masaru smirked and leaned forward in his seat ignoring the amused expressions from the adults. "Neh, Shikamaru, your sister tells me you are a little genius. Who do you think is winning this one?"

 

"Skills wise, Kaito-san. But as long as he doesn't have a plan Hana-san has the advantage."

 

"Shizuka wasn't kidding when she said the reasoning is a genetic thing." That caused the adults to stifle chuckles as they pretended to not see the exchange. "I don't suppose you want to elaborate on that answer?"

 

"Too troublesome."

 

Masaru groaned and looked down towards his teammate who was in the process of dodging the Inuzuka's signature clan jutsu,  _ **Gatsūga**_ _(Man-Beast Ultimate Taijutsu: Fang Over Fang)._

 

Sure enough, Hana's attacks started to come in harder and the timing between each one was starting to get to Kaito who was covered in scratches and had gotten some good blows to the body.

 

Making a tactical retreat Kaito jumped as far as he could and released a powerful fire jutsu before he leaned down seemingly catching his breath. Within seconds of the firestorm dispersing Hana and the Three Haimaru Brothers were on to him again.

 

The attack raised a lot of dust blocking visibility of the arena ground for a couple of seconds. By the time it cleared all participants seemed to have received some extra cuts.

 

"Still standing after a full-on attack. Shizuka will need to tell me how she deals with people good at dodging."

 

"She poisons them." Kaito deadpanned.

 

Hana having heard the story snorted while the members of the audience who knew of the flower also let out a few chuckles.

 

As the Inuzuka prepared for another round, her ninken started to tremble, one of them even collapsing.

 

"She's helped more than just dodge training," Kaito smirked as Hana's eyes snapped to him, noticing the two senbon in his hands. "She often recommends tools for us to stock up on. Paralytic toxins on a senbon, a definite must. Especially for an opponent coming straight at you. A scratch will do."

 

Starting to feel the effects of the toxin Hana tried to clench her hands, but it was slow to respond and had obviously lost some strength. But just as she started to fall, Kaito caught her and helped her sit.

 

"You almost had me, Hana, truly. Your strength is impressive, and the timing was spot on, I only escaped because of speed and dodge training. Well done."

 

Hana smiled and looked up to the proctor giving him a head shake before she leaned back onto Kaito's legs as he stood behind her.

 

"Inuzuka Hana is no longer to continue. The winner of the first semi-final is Hitotose Kaito."

 

Kaito bowed in acknowledgement and helped Hana onto a stretcher after informing the medics the toxin he used. He followed behind the stretchers with the three ninken and gave a small wave to the crowd before he disappeared into the hallway.

 

Kaito met Shizuka on the stairs as she made her way down to the arena for her fight against the guy from Suna.

 

"Well done! And not a single trump card revealed. I'm impressed." Shizuka teased their fists bumping against each other. "I honestly thought she had you for a moment there."

 

"Ah, well your help with sensory training may have saved my ass then and your mention of Genma reminded me all I needed was a scratch in for the paralytic to work." Kaito rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Good luck. I'll be with our families since the balcony is empty."

 

"Thanks. I'll look forward to our fight." Shizuka made her way to the arena floor.

 

"Shizuka, you better not start planning that during this fight." Kaito called over to her but she just waved at him without even turning back.  _'Not sure anyone will be amused if she lets her concentration slips…'_

 

"The second semi-final starts… NOW!" Raidō called before jumping to a ledge to oversee the fight.

 

Biro dashed forward immediately sending off some small fire bullets towards her. Since Wind is weak against fire and would actually power up his jutsus she resorted to moving out of the way, keeping an eye on any signs Biro was trying to push her in a certain direction.

 

'He's pushing me away from the side with more shadows, smart.' Shizuka smirked and tilted her head to the side as she observed her opponent who had paused his attacks to watch her as well.

 

"What do you think, Shikaku?" Chōza asked as he glanced curiously at his old friend.

 

"Biro and Shizuka are rather even in speed, although she should have a slight advantage there. He's stronger physically and as advanced as she is with ninjutsu his element trumps hers." Shikaku watched the two participants as the stood watching each other. "But he is unlikely to surprise her, while she holds some nice tricks up her sleeves."

 

"Any ideas on what her strategy is?" Masaru asked having become interested in the conversation from the adults. "I may be on her team, but her plans are either straightforward or seemingly random due to her uncanny bad luck."

 

"She'll act accordingly to what he throws at her, she probably has a good idea of what he can throw at her, or a vague idea, the more cards he reveals the better." Daichi who was sat right behind Masaru leaned forward. "In a team, improvising in such a way is harder because you want to work together. But alone, she becomes free to change strategy completely."

 

"She has a good endurance, she's fast and agile and dodging comes easy. In addition to that, she's good at planning ahead while still being talented on the whole 'thinking on your feet' aspect." Inoichi pointed out, Shikaku just hummed as he watched Biro launch at his daughter blade in hand.

 

For several minutes both of them gave each other a lot of blows in both taijutsu and kenjutsu. Biro was extremely careful of her blades, obviously wary of any poisons she might have – and probably had - coated them in. He managed to disarm her right hand and land some kicks to her legs and torso while he kept her other hands busy with his blade.

 

They spun around each other and clashed over and over again, Biro maintaining a quick distance from the shade of the arena walls and making sure she wouldn't be able to weave handsigns to trap him with her shadows.

 

At one moment the audience was on the edge of their seats as Biro managed to come to her back, locking the blade in her left hand with Biro's blade that had been aimed towards her right shoulder.

 

Shizuka now had her left arm across her chest and her blade blocking an attack to the back of her right shoulder. She took a moment to take a deep breath and spun around, momentarily releasing her tantō only to grasp it with her right hand. The audience was silent, as she continued her spin, she swung her right arm out, taking Biro's blade away from her, leaving an opening to his side, which she took advantage in with a strong punch to the lower ribs.

 

The whole thing lasted only seconds, and as a result, Biro loosened his grip on his blade which Shizuka used to disarm him with another flick of her right wrist.

 

Biro then jumped back gripping the side that had been punched.

 

"Impressive. Your doing I assume, Kouta?" Daichi glanced at his niece's sensei who had narrowed his eyes at the exchange.

 

"I taught her several ways of blocking blows to the back, but the improvement she's shown with her right hand has very little to do with me."

 

"Apparently she got several different people helping her train different aspects." Shikaku shrugged as he leaned forward to watch the boy from Suna starting more handsigns.

 

' _He knows his best bet is ninjutsu at this point. How can I beat his fire?'_  Shizuka crouched down slightly, her eyes focused on her opponent, for a moment she reached out her senses, her eyes widening momentarily before she lunged to the side.

 

Biro had launched several fire bullets at her and to her sides and above her, however, what caught Shizuka's attention was the Earth jutsu that had started popping up from the ground right under her.

 

Having been surrounded by fireballs and having an attack from under her she was in a dangerous situation.

 

She immediately let out some lightning chakra from her hand, just enough to keep her left hand from being encased in a mound of earth, but her right hand wasn't as successful and ended up trapped.

 

' _I can't move my hand; not even lightning chakra is helping. I need to get out now.'_ As soon as Biro started the handsigns for another jutsu Shizuka threw a smoke bomb directly in front of her so that she could hide from view.  _'It took me way too long to realize he was converting earth chakra to fire… I really need to train that more.'_

 

Running low on time, Shizuka pours all her concentration and creating a thin thread of chakra a couple meters away from where she was, and once she was satisfied with the distance, she  _pulled._

 

Sure enough, she landed near the intended area, but her aim had become much better running back to where she had been she tagged the mound her hand had been in with explosive tags and moved out of the explosion radius.

 

' _Boom.'_ Shizuka thought drily as the ground slightly shook from the impact.  _'Now where is this guy… Underground… Alright, I can work with that.'_

 

She ran out of the smoke and after some handsigns, she pushes a heavy load of lightning chakra into the ground towards the area her opponent was in. When her opponent appears above ground his hair was spiky and you could  _smell_ the difference in the air from the lightning.

 

Biro had travelled a fair distance underground from where he had launched the justus at her and where she sent the lightning.

 

' _I wonder if there are tunnels underground from where he moved…'_ She tried to expand her senses but her investigation was derailed as Biro launched more fire at her.

 

Recognizing the pattern of where the fire was going, instead of moving, she stayed put and pushed chakra into the ground just as it started to rise up. Once again her opponent disappeared underground and she let out a dramatic sigh.

 

Up in the stands the adults snorted at the disappointed face Shizuka had, earning themselves some curious looks. Taking pity on his friend and his sister's teammate Shikamaru explained.

 

"Does he really think using the same plan, that failed the first time will work?" Masaru and Chōji, who had arrived just after Shizuka threw her smoke bomb, nodded in understanding.

 

"She did say the Sand team used standard strategies, though this guy obviously can improvise more than his teammates," Kaito added as they watched Shizuka make some very familiar handsigns. "It's over."

 

As soon as Biro was within her range she completed her handsigns. Most Jōnin who were familiar with the sequence leaned forward in curiosity as the target genin wasn't above ground and so Shizuka didn't technically have anything to aim the jutsu at.

 

Except she did.

 

Using a slightly modified version of  _ **Kage Shibari**_ _(Shadow Bind)_ , Shizuka used her own shadow to dig  _into_ the ground. The  _ **Kage Nui no Jutsu**_ _(Art of Shadow Stitching)_ allowed her to pierce the skin, even bone if it held enough strength, so why not ground?

 

Biro had been tunnelling his way with an Earth jutsu towards her, probably in an attempt to catch her off guard with an attack from below. Even knowing she could use lightning he still decided going underground was a good idea. Hence her disappointed expression.

 

Within her range and in a small  _dark_  tunnel? Easy win for her.

 

For a moment the audience only saw her shadow darken dramatically, a sign her jutsu was in effect, and then the ground just a couple of steps away from her cracked and held up by several strings of shadows was Biro, covered in scratches from both shadows and the earth that had probably scraped against every exposed part of his body.

 

With her opponent trapped in her jutsu, it was an easy finish. She looked up at the proctor who didn't do anything at all, just watched the pair.

 

' _Seriously? This isn't enough? Fine… so troublesome.'_ Shizuka held her opponent in place while she considered how she would finish this.

 

She met her opponent's eyes an amused smirk blooming across her face as she noticed his glower.

 

Weaving some more handsigns, Shizuka made the shadows around Biro tighten and move towards his neck, a thin tendril wrapping around his throat. It wasn't tight enough to stop him from breathing, but the potential was there.

 

Shizuka looked expectantly at the proctor, her eyes then staring at Biro's incapacitated form every couple of seconds. With no response from him, Shizuka allowed the shadows to completely cover Biro and dropped him to the floor – probably more harshly than necessary – and kept him bound by the shadows.

 

"I'm don't want to strangle him, so if you could please call this match, he'd appreciate it." Shizuka huffed as she looked up to Raidō's perch on the wall.

 

"Aoki Biro is unable to continue. The winner of the second semi-final is Nara Shizuka." Raidō finally calls out, probably figuring Shizuka wouldn't do. "The final fight will occur tomorrow morning. Well done to all participants and good luck to the two finalists."

 

Shizuka takes a deep breath and winces as her ribs flare up. She makes her way to the exit and waits for her family and friends to make their way down to her.

 

"Well done, darling." Chōza was the first to congratulate her, having been the first one to spot her through the crowds. "How are you feeling, you took some hard knocks."

 

"Bruised ribs, but I'm sure they'll be better after a session with a medic nin."

 

Team four did their fist bump and her sensei gave her hair a ruffle, but she just rolled her eyes. It was already out of her braid from the fight anyway. With a hug from her mother, brother and Chōji and a shoulder squeeze from her father and Inoichi, the group move out of the arena and into the streets.

 

"How did you get out of those chains?" Kaito asked, this drew the attention of the adults and narrowed eyed looks from her family.

 

"Ah, explosive tag and body flicker. It wasn't a fully powered explosion either. Used the smoke to cover it up, but he had disappeared underground so I had to reveal it anyway."

 

The three genin talked a bit about the fights, Chōji and Shikamaru occasionally pitching in comments while the adults followed behind. The group broke apart as each made their way to their own house, Shizuka and Kaito giving each other a look before separating.

 

Sending Shikamaru off to his room, Shikaku guided his daughter to his study, his brother following behind. He let them both in and shut the door.

 

"What happened to not using the shadow travel?"

 

"I was trapped, zapping it didn't affect it at all. The only way to escape, but I'm much better at aiming now."

 

"Doesn't change the fact that you used it when you weren't supposed to. What if someone had seen you?"

 

"Then we would deal with it. It's a clan technique so it would be protected from anyone else trying to get information on it. I was careful, I made sure the smoke was thick enough to completely hide me. I wouldn't have done it if I had any other choice."

 

Shikaku sighed as he leaned back on his desk, while Daichi remained silent near the door.

 

"Shizuka, I really mean this when I say it: that technique is too dangerous to use in small situations like this. You made a promise and you broke it. Don't do it again."

 

"I'm sorry. I promise not to use it unless it is a life or death situation."

 

Shikaku stared at her for a few moments, their eyes locked before he nodded, pulling her into a hug.

 

"It was a good fight. Do you want to go to the hospital for those ribs or ask someone in the clan?"

 

"Mum knows a bit, doesn't she?"

 

"Yeah, she might be a little rusty, but I'm sure she can at least make it more comfortable."

 

"Speaking of a good fight. Who have you been training with?" Daichi spoke as he approached the pair and making himself comfortable on one of the seats in front of the desk.

 

"Ah, well... Kouta-sensei with general training, you with wind, tō-san with clan jutsu, mom has pitched in with speed, Shisui-san and Itachi-san also gave me pointers in a couple areas." She listed off, counting them on her fingers, her father's and uncle's eyebrows slightly rose with the last two mentioned but didn't comment. "Oh! And Genma-san has been helpful with poisons and he's even introduced me to Anko-san who told me to go to her if I needed help with them too."

 

The two jōnin mentally groaned at the prospect of Shizuka training with Anko. First, the Hokage introduced her to one poison expert and now said poison expert introduced her to another. This would most likely have disastrous consequences.

 

"Let's go get something to eat, then some shogi and a nap? I'm sure you're exhausted." Daichi stood and led trio out of the study and towards the kitchen.


	16. The Final

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> The poll has closed! Final result:
> 
> Genma – 51%
> 
> Kakashi – 36%
> 
> Itachi – 13%
> 
> Thanks for all the votes! The romance is still a few chapters away, however with the chūnin exams over, there will be a wider variety of interactions.
> 
> Also, sorry I took so long to update again, it took me a while to have any ideas for the fight (fight scenes really aren't my thing. And then I went on vacation and didn't spend that long on my computer. Oh well, practice makes perfect). On the bright side, its back to missions and soon more of the canon timeline events will pop up.
> 
> Thanks! Hope you enjoy the last chapter of the chūnin exams!
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

“Speaking.”

_‘Thinking’_

**_Jutsus_ **

* * *

 

 “You’re not taking your weapons with paralytics?” Shikaku leaned on the door frame to his daughter’s room, watching as she separated her weapons into different piles.

 

“Toxins have been overused in the competition. Besides, Kaito and I have the same source, therefore he likely has the antidotes.”

 

“So, you both want to showcase other skills.”

 

“Hai. We both know that winning is actually irrelevant, so we want to stall for a bit to showcase our skills.”

 

“Something tells me you have a plan for that that Kaito hasn’t been made aware of.” Shikaku snorted at the attempt at an innocent façade his daughter put up.

 

“Me?”

 

“Let’s go, or we’ll be late.” Shikaku huffed and ushered his daughter down the hallway.

 

Outside they were joined by Daichi, Shikamaru and Yoshino, the latter went through a checklist with her daughter to make sure she had everything she needed. Then the group of five started to move towards the stadium.

 

“You nervous, Zuka?” Daichi tugged on his niece’s braid as they left the compound. “Kaito is strong, it’ll be a challenge.”

 

“It’s bound to be an interesting final, I’m actually excited for it.” Shizuka smiled back at him before turning to face ahead and waving at the Yamanaka’s and Akimichi’s who were waiting for them further down the main street.

 

 “Shizuka-nee!” Ino greeted the older girl with a grin, “Congratulations on making the final!”

 

“Thank you, Ino-chan” Shizuka smiled at the people and the large group moved towards the gym. “I hope you all enjoy the fight.”

 

“I’m sure it’ll be very entertaining.” Chōza gave her a pat on the shoulder as he fell into step with Inoichi, Shizuka’s father and uncle.

 

 _‘I hope so...’_ Shizuka grinned before focusing on Ino’s questions about the previous day and her plans for the fight.

 

* * *

 

 

“Welcome everyone, to the final of the Chūnin exams.” Raidō stood in the centre of the arena, looking towards the Hokage’s seat as a sign of respect. “Today, the two finalists are both genin of Konoha, both from team four I present, Hitotose Kaito and Nara Shizuka.”

 

At his announcement, Kaito and Shizuka walked out from the tunnel and walked over to stand on either side of the proctor, each bowing towards the Hokage, then the proctor and each other.

 

“Good luck to both. The final starts... NOW!” As soon as he finished speaking the Proctor returned to his ledge on the wall to stay out of the fight.

 

For a few moments, Kaito and Shizuka just stared at each other, before they each let a smile tug at their lips. With slow movements, Kaito reached for his katana, while Shizuka reached for both her tantōs.

 

As soon as Kaito settled into a defensive stance Shizuka was on him, her blades locking with his.

 

“So how long are we planning on dragging this out?” Kaito asked as he forced her to twirl away from his to avoid losing a hand.

 

“We are evenly matched in kenjutsu, so it’ll be a battle of ninjutsu, endurance and planning.” Shizuka smirked as she leaned back to avoid a swing and twirled towards Kaito.

 

As she approached him she reached into her pouch and pulled out a small item which she smoothly slid across his throat, before she flickered a few paces away to avoid getting stabbed.

 

“What?” Kaito reached towards his throat only to notice a tinge of red, though he knew it wasn’t blood he turned to face Shizuka with a confused expression.

 

“One-zero, to me.” Shizuka smirked, showing the item she had pulled from her pouch.

 

“A red marker, seriously?”

 

“Easier to keep track of.” Shizuka grinned throwing the marker for him to catch. “If you get an opening for a fatal blow use the marker instead and we’ll ‘reset’ and go again.”

 

“Fair.” Kaito shrugged and pocketed the marker, his eyes returning to Shizuka before he dashed forward launching a barrage of kunai on his way.

 

Shizuka blocked the barrage taking note of some kunai that had missed her by an abnormally large margin, at least when considering Kaito’s level at throwing them. Before she could figure out what they were going to be, Kaito reached her with a strong swipe at her head, which she dodged under only to see his other hand with the marker heading towards her head.

 

As she took a step back, she noticed too late the glint of a wire and as soon as her leg came in contact with the wire the trap burst into flame. In the seconds after the trap was set off, Kaito leapt forward and slid the marker across Shizuka’s throat.

 

“One all.” Kaito returned the marker to his pocket and jumped back, ready to start again.

 

Shizuka flickered away from the flames, grumbling at the light burns on her shins. While uncomfortable she was sure it wouldn’t slow her down too much.

 

* * *

 

 

“A marker? They are using markers in the final?” Masaru shook his head, while the other adults huffed in amusement.

 

“They are only warming up now, they are yet to use more impressive techniques.” Kouta shrugged as he watched Shizuka cross her arms and tilt her head to the side.

 

“Why the markers then? If they leave opening like that they could finish the fight.” Ino asked as she leaned over Chōji and Shikamaru to look at Shizuka’s teammate and sensei.

 

“They want to show what they can do, neither care who wins. But the markers will help them identify weak spots.”

 

“So, they are basically treating this as a regular spar?” Ino surmised her eyes darting back to the fight, where Shizuka and Kaito were trading strong blows with their blades, though neither had new marks.

 

“Pretty much. But I’m sure when they start to get tired they will do a proper fight, but they want to give each other an opportunity to showcase their talents.” Kouta had a small smile playing on his lips as Kaito got the upper-hand using a move he taught the boy a few weeks ago.

 

* * *

 

 

“And that makes two-one to me. Kouta-sensei was right. You do always fall for that one.” Kaito teased as Shizuka rubbed at the marker spot on her chest just where her heart was.

 

Shizuka just shook her head and pulled out some senbon and kunai, launching them at Kaito and quickly launched into familiar handsigns.

 

“ ** _Kage Shibari._** ” _(Shadow Bind)_ Shizuka mumbled under her breath just as Kaito finished knocked the weapons off their path. “Shadow possession complete.”

 

Kaito huffed as he felt Shizuka’s jutsu take over his body.

 

“Nice timing. Connecting your shadow to that of the kunai and using it as a ‘carrier’ to get to mine. You’re getting faster at it.”

 

“Thanks. Though you messed up because you should’ve been watching out for that.” Shizuka grinned as she reached her right hand for the non-existent pouch on her right leg. “Being left-handed really is an advantage with this jutsu.”

 

She mimicked drawing an ‘x’ on her forehead, while Kaito just narrowed his eyes as he felt the marker paint a bright red x on his own forehead before the jutsu was released.

 

“The head seriously?”

 

“You already have a slit throat, needed a blank canvas.” Shizuka shrugged before she shifted her stance again. “That ties us at two.”

 

Kaito gripped his katana in his hand and in a quick burst of speed he dashed forward.

 

Shizuka’s eyes widened at the afterimages of his movement. _‘Well, kenjutsu training with Kouta-sensei has obviously yielded a lot of fruits…’_ Shizuka flew through handsigns for a Shunshin and moved out of the way, shrugging at Kaito’s narrowed eyes.

 

In response, Kaito launched fireballs at her in quick succession forcing her to run around and then he bursts forward with the same kenjutsu attack as before, this time with a fireball to cover his advance.

 

He smirked victoriously as he marked a slash on the side of her neck with the red marker and then jumped back to create some space.

 

“My lead, three-two.”

 

This time it was her turn to dash forward, with the use of the Shunshin she kept Kaito on his toes as they traded some blows. She slowly increased the tempo to the point that most civilians would barely be able to follow their movement.

 

She feigned a jab to his stomach which he moved to block with his katana, but with a further burst of speed she dodged under his blade and jabbed the marker in the middle of his chest marking another ‘x’ before grinning and flickering away.

 

“Three all!” Shizuka smiled as she pocketed her marker. “Let’s take this up a notch. No more counting points.”

 

“Bored already?”

 

“Yeah.” Shizuka grinned sheepishly, “We’ve been at it for a while, let’s make this one count.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Finally.” Shikamaru huffed as he leaned forward observing the subtle shifts in the stances of the two genin in the arena. “Seems like they are done counting points.”

 

“Now that they seem to be on the final straight, who do you think will win?” Masaru glanced curiously at his teammate's little brother.

 

“Kaito can probably outlast Shizuka, but she’s more likely to come up with a surprising plan.” Shikamaru stated, his eyes remained fixated on the battle below.

 

In the row behind their kids sat the older generation of Ino-Shika-Chō, Daichi and Kouta

 

“Wonder what she’s planning now?” Chōza briefly glanced at his friend from the corner of his eyes but his eyes quickly returned to the match below.

 

“She was gauging how much he improved,” Daichi answered for his brother. “She had a basic idea of what he could do, so she was testing the waters. Now with practical experience, you can expect her to use the best tools at her disposal.”

 

“Which are?” Masaru twisted in his seat to look at his teammate’s uncle who smirked and nodded towards the arena floor.

 

“Too troublesome to explain. Just observe how their entire stances will shift.”

 

Masaru grumbled at the lack of response and focused on the fight below. As soon as his eyes found his two teammates the audience gasped as Kaito launched a stab at Shizuka’s stomach, with an actual kunai and seemingly made contact.

 

* * *

 

 

 _‘Much better now.’_ Shizuka thought as Kaito started pushing her away from any shadowed parts while simultaneously keeping her on the move, switching between ninjutsu, projectiles and occasionally engaging with his katana.

 

_‘Now, he’s trying to push me towards the tripwires from the beginning. Shame they reset the arena ground, those tunnels would’ve been handy.’_

 

Shizuka’s eyes swept over the arena for a second as she dodged a wave of projectiles and with some quick handsigns.

 

 ** _“Fūton: Toppa.”_** _(Wind Release: Breakthrough)_ The gust of wind sent to the ground propelled her further back, allowing her to land on one of the walls.

 

While the side she was on had the fewest amount of shadows, she didn’t let it deter her as she flew though handsigns that had Kaito scrambling to the centre of the arena, leaving him just outside her range with the available shadows.

 

She was getting better at controlling multiple strands but was far from her father’s skill with the **_Kuro Higanbana_** _(Black Spider Lily),_ though she could manage two or three depending on the task.

 

She walked back to the arena ground as she launched two strands of shadows towards Kaito, putting him on the defensive as she kept him dodging those as well as small volleys of senbon. When she felt the jutsu wavering (she really needed to work on how long she could keep it working too) she made a show of taking a deep breath, sending Kaito an exaggerated wink when he narrowed his eyes at her.

 

She focused some chakra into her right hand and curled her fingers and launched forward drawing her left tantō. Instead of dodging Kaito engaged her with his katana, though his eyes widened fractionally when she managed to knock his blade away. The sound of the metal sliding away from them was in the back of his mind as he drew a kunai and drove it towards Shizuka’s side, intent on pushing her away so that he could recompose himself.

 

He noticed too late her right hand moving towards his and it ended just above his hand holding the kunai, her torso leaned forward as the kunai hit her. For a moment his eyes widened and time seemingly slowed to a halt as Shizuka allowed her arms to fall to her sides and towards his hand holding the kunai.

 

He looked down and was about to forfeit when he saw small tendrils of shadows trail up his hand holding the kunai. Shizuka’s head was looking down and as she looked up to meet his eyes he noticed her smirk.

 _‘She let me stab her to get close and trap me? No, she’s not THAT reckless. Especially not for a competition... Wait, no... I can’t feel any blood either.’_ Kaito’s thoughts raced through his head.

 

The genin shook his head and dropped the kunai, the small tool fell to the ground with a clang. He tugged his hand and due to the rather small thin tendrils, he managed to pull away when he pulled back hard enough.

 

He hastily pulled a smoke bomb and threw it to the ground and ran out of its radius and stopped waiting for the smoke to clear, as he knew it was useless hiding from Shizuka.

 

* * *

 

Shikamaru would be lying if watching his sister apparently being stabbed didn’t make his heart leap to his throat. He knew his sister was capable of defending herself and the Kaito’s movement just then wasn’t anything his sister couldn’t have countered. But still, watching her hunch over the kunai in Kaito’s hand wasn’t something he expected to see. And judging by the sharp intake of breath from the adults behind him they didn’t expect it either.

 

With his eyes focused on the point of contact he didn’t see who threw the smoke bomb, but within moments the arena was flooded with smoke. He glanced back at the adults who were watching the smoke attentively.

 

“To-san?” Ino turned around to look up at her father. “You can sense her, right?”

 

“No. But she’s ok, this is to her advantage.”

 

“If you can’t sense her, neither can Kaito. He needs out of the smoke or he’ll just be a sitting duck.” Kouta hummed, his eyes locating the general direction of his male student,

 

“I wonder what that was for… Shizuka wouldn’t do something for no reason, she would deem it too troublesome.” Masaru pitched in his eyes scanning the black cloud in hopes of glimpsing ether participants.

 

“I think I know why, but I hope I’m wrong.” Daichi groaned as he made eye contact with Shikaku who also had a grim look in his eyes.

 

“You don’t think she would…?” Yoshino piped in from her place beside her husband.

 

“We never mentioned anything about her not using it.” Daichi confirmed, this drawing sharp looks from Chōza and Inoichi.

 

“You taught her _those_ already? Shikaku are you out of your mind?” Inoichi frowned at his teammate who simply stared into the smoke.

 

“Is that what landed her in the hospital last month?” Chōza asked from Shikaku’s other side.

 

“She got curious. It was safer to teach her.” With a pointed look at his two friends, which they understood as: ‘there is more to this, I’ll tell you about it sometime’.

 

Just as the smoke settles the two genin are revealed. Kaito was to the side, near the wall a decent distance away from Shizuka’s range. While Shizuka seemed to not have moved with the exception of having straightened up.

 

The audience was silently observing the two silent and unmoving finalists waiting for what would surely be the final showdown.

 

* * *

 

Kaito observed his teammate from where he stood, his eyes trailing down to the side he had stabbed. But her usual grey jacket covered any possible tears and wounds, though he was still certain of his assessment that she hadn’t been bleeding. And if she was it wasn’t deep as his hand was clear of any trace of her blood.

 

Focusing again on his teammate he met her steady gaze as he thought of his next move. With a reasonable plan in mind, he glanced around the arena before moving to start its execution.

 

Well, he would have, if he _could._

 

“Shadow possession complete.” Shizuka called as his eyes flew back to her face, his eyes catching the rat handsign she had just completed.

 

“I escaped the tendrils… How?” Kaito relaxed as the odd feeling of the shadow mimic technique forced his limbs to replicate the movements of his friend.

 

“The art of distraction. While you were occupied with the small ones I launched a new one to your feet.” Shizuka walked forward until they were only a few feet apart. “When you ran away, it was a passive shadow dragged away by you moving. Hitching a ride, if you will.”

 

“So simple.” Kaito sighed as Shizuka shrugged. “Well, how are you finishing this?”

 

Shizuka tilted her head to the side before a smile took over her face.

 

“Medics.”

 

At Kaito’s answering frown, she pushed her jacket to the side, showing him the side he had attacked.

 

Her black shirt had a wound on the side, between her hip and waistline. It wasn’t wide, and by its location, it wouldn’t have pierced anything vital, but by the way the shirt clung to her it was clear that it was bleeding profusely.

 

“If you’re wondering how I’ll tell you some other time.” Shizuka whispered, her hand releasing the bottom of her jacket before she turned towards the proctor. “I forfeit. I’m low on chakra and bleeding quite a bit.”

 

* * *

 

No sooner had the words left her mouth the shadows which kept Kaito in place flickered almost like a light right before burning out. Shizuka took the moment to grip her side with a wrinkled nose as she put pressure on her side.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Kaito’s eyes widened as Raidō appeared close by. “Shizuka, what the hell.”

 

“We don’t need to know who is stronger, we work together and our strengths complement each other. We’ve been fighting for a while, we’re even.”

 

“Then its a draw.” Kaito turned to the proctor but Shizuka gave him a tiny shock as she pinched his arm, effectively shutting him up.

 

“I don’t want to continue fighting.” She ignored Kaito’s indignant expression and spoke directly at the proctor, showing him her bleeding side. “I refuse to use more dangerous techniques for this competition and quite frankly I don’t think I need to.”

 

Raidō nodded and turned to the Hokage’s box to announce the winner when he heard Shizuka mumble under her breath, causing him to suck in a deep breath in amusement.

 

“Besides I just want a nap after the intense month of training we had.”

 

Kaito just pinched the bridge of his nose and opened his mouth to argue, but a glare from Shizuka shut him up.

 

“The winner of the Chūnin Exams Tournament is Hitotose Kaito.” Raidō gestured to Kaito who gave a bow and Shizuka clapped for him before she was ushered out by some medics, who immediately took over keeping the pressure on the wound.

 

* * *

 

Kaito was led inside to be congratulated by the Hokage and even had his photo taken for the local newspaper. After talking to some important people and giving a small interview to some reporter he realised what Shizuka meant by ‘just wanting a nap’.

 

By the time all of that was done and he managed to leave and greet his family and all that he met up with his sensei and Masaru.

 

“Shizuka’s family invited everyone over for a barbeque at their house.” Kouta-sensei explained as his family, sensei and his male teammate started to walk towards the Nara compound.

 

“She’s already home?”

 

“You’ve been _busy_ for the last two hours,” Masaru smirked at Kaito’s surprised expression. “Should’ve seen how happy she was when they sent her home. I’m one hundred per cent sure she’ll be asleep when we get there.”

 

Kaito rolled his eyes as they entered the Nara compound, the group making their way to the house at the end of the main path. They walked around the house to the back garden where they could hear talking and laughter.

 

“You’re all here! Just in time!” Yoshino smiled as she walked out with some plates for the guests. “Meat should be almost ready, Miku-chan, Chōji’s mother is preparing it over there.”

 

They looked over to the small building a little to the side, where the Akimichi matriarch and her husband were standing over the grill.

 

“Hope you enjoy.” Yoshino smiled as the group dispersed throughout the yard. “Kaito-kun! Congratulations, it was quite the fight!”

 

“Thank you, Yoshino-san. Where is Shizuka-chan? I believe she owes me some answers.”

 

“My daughter is napping just on the porch around the corner.” The Nara clan head said as he approached offering his hand for the young genin to shake. “Well done it kept us all very entertained.”

 

“Thank you, Shikaku-san. I’ll go get those answers now.”

 

Kaito moved around the back of the house and around the corner, easily spotting Shizuka’s slumbering form on one of the benches.

 

With a quick glance at Masaru and nod the two genin walked towards their teammate and with a cushion each, they both hit her lightly with them. Both cringing when they felt a jolt from where Shizuka touched their arms.

 

“If you’re trying to sneak up on me try compressing your chakra.” She opened her eyes lazily smirking as they rubbed the spot where she had shocked them. “How was your afternoon, Kaito? Busy, I’ve heard.”

 

“You knew. Meeting the Hokage, people from the Daimyō’s palace, important people. Interview with the local newspaper, photos.” Kaito collapsed on the bench next to her once she sat up. Masaru taking the spot in front of them.

 

“Obviously.” Shizuka smirked as she leaned back, “I really didn’t want to go through all that.”

 

“So you left me alone to suffer through all that instead of sharing the victory in a draw.” Kaito scowled

 

“Pretty much.”

 

“So much for teamwork.” The three genin heard a snort in amusement and turned as their sensei approached them.

 

“I believe you promised us an explanation.” Masaru turned back to Shizuka once their sensei had settled by his side.

 

“Without going into details, my hospital visit was due to an _experiment_ with my clan’s techniques. I’m forbidden from using it as its dangerous.”

 

“What does it do?” Kouta-sensei crossed his arms focused on his student with a stern look as he wasn’t too pleased with her ‘experiments’.

 

“Kind of like the body flicker but _through_ the shadows.”

 

“So, the kunai today…” Kaito trailed off, his eyes darting down to her side.

 

“A mixture between that and another family jutsu, basically an armour of shadow, but I’m far from mastering that one.”

 

“Why did I have to get stuck with a Nara with a propensity for dangerous experiments?” Kouta sighed dramatically as he tilted his head back towards where the rest of the people were. “I’ll talk to your father about that, but everything else can wait. Team four deserves a week or so off.”

 

“Thank you, Sensei!” The three genin chorused with wide grins, all looking forward to their break.

 


	17. Upgrade

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

 

Shizuka smiled for the flash of the camera but as soon as it was over she scowled at her smirking teammate to the side of the room. The Chūnin exams had proven to be fruitful and four Konoha genin were promoted. Aburame Shun, Inuzuka Hana, Hitotose Kaito and herself. She walked over to where Hana and Kaito stood and Shun moved to have his photo taken.

 

"Couldn't avoid this one, could you?" Hana smiled as the Nara sat next to her, watching in amusement as the photographer positioned Shun for his photo.

 

"Unfortunately." Shizuka reached over and shocked Kaito as he snorted at her. "Ah, look they're finished. We can finally go do relevant things."

 

Shun approached the trio and the four of them immediately walked out, their new vests oddly clean and new compared to the others around the administration building.

 

"Ah, Shizuka-chan, before you go, we need to have a word with the Hokage." Kouta-sensei said once he spotted the group walking by.

 

Shizuka and Kaito refused to drop the honorific despite their new rank technically allowing them to.

 

"Ah yes, I forgot we needed to inform him of that 'development'" Shizuka sighed and turned to the other three. "I'll see you guys at the 'party' later, right?"

 

The three newly promoted chūnin nodded and waved goodbye, each to their own home to show their families their new vest. Kouta led Shizuka back into the building and they only had to wait for a moment before being allowed in to see the Hokage.

 

"Hokage-sama, thank you for seeing us." Kouta spoke as he and Shizuka rose from a bow.

 

"I believe this meeting is to bring certain abilities to light?" He clasped his hands in front of him as he observed the young Nara who met his gaze steadily. "Why now?"

 

"I didn't want to bring too much attention to myself." Shizuka shrugged, "As chūnin sensing will become a more useful skill anyways, so I might as well put it to use."

 

"But that's not a speciality you want." The Hokage pointed out.

 

"I still don't want to work with only tracking, I'd become bored too easily." Shizuka agreed, sparring her sensei a glance before looking back to the Hokage, "However I'd be willing to be on the 'roster' and occasionally be pulled into missions where such skill is required but my preference continues with infiltration."

 

The Hokage glanced at the jōnin who gave a nod to afirm his agreement.

 

"Very well. Although I must point out that intel has already requested you for a rotation there, I'm sure you'll be entertained with their cases."

 

Shizuka smirked, having already expected that, knowing that Inoichi had blabbed about her mind maps to someone in his division.

 

"Of course." Shizuka glanced at her sensei, "What will happen to team four?"

 

"We will continue training together, Kaito will compete in the next chūnin exams with Kenji and another genin." Kouta nodded towards the Hokage.

 

"Mission wise, I believe you are all capable of slightly more advanced missions, so no more D-ranks. Although you and Kaito are now on the chūnin roster and might be requested for missions with other teams."

 

"Hai, thank you, Hokage-sama." Shizuka bowed and Kouta echoed her before they left the office and administration building.

 

Just as they exited the main building they met up with Izumo and Kotetsu who were carrying boxes full of scrolls.

 

"Well, well, if it isn't the tiniest chūnin in the village." Kotetsu teased causing Shizuka to roll her eyes.

 

"Welcome to the ranks." Izumo grinned, "Don't be late to the party! You are one-quarter of the guests of honour tonight."

 

"See you later, boys, sensei." Shizuka smiled and waved goodbye to the older shinobi as she made her way home.

* * *

Later that afternoon Shizuka and Shikamaru were playing a shogi game when their father and uncle walked onto the porch.

 

"Look at that shiny new vest. You should probably do some training in it so that its a bit roughed up and doesn't look brand new." Daichi picked up Shizuka's vest which was draped over the bench on the bench off to the side.

 

"How was the meeing with the Hokage?" Her father asked as he ruffled her hair, his eyes studying the board between his two children. "Stop cheating, Shizuka."

 

"Oh, come on." Shizuka groaned as her brother's head snapped to her, his eyes narrowed in a glare, "How could you possibly know I was cheating."

 

"You usually do." Shikaku snorted, "You can probably win against Shikamaru without cheating."

 

"But I'm practising to beat you." She mumbled and took a moment to carefully choose a piece to move instead of the automatic plays she had been doing.

 

"You're playing by a win or lose probability?" Daichi snorted as he over Shikamaru's shoulder to look at the board. "That's a lot of permutations to memorise."

 

"Still not finished actually." Shizuka shrugged as she continued the game with her brother. "Don't think I ever will. But it's nice to play by that without having planned ahead."

 

"That's a direct opposition to the purpose of the game." Shikaku sighed, "You haven't answered my question."

 

"Officially on the list of sensors of the village. Did you know someone wants me for a rotation at intel already?"

 

"Inoichi may have mentioned something of the sort." Shikaku answered, "They have some open large-scale operations that you would enjoy both in solving and in infiltration."

 

"Sounds fun."

 

"You should wrap up the game and get ready for that party." Daichi pointed out.

 

"I suppose I should." Shizuka sighed, glancing at the shiny new vest in her uncle's hand. "Alright, why don't you play the last five rounds, tō-san?"

 

"Five?" Shikamaru asked but his sister just gave him a smile and a wave before disappearing inside the house.

 

"She already had you, you just fell past the point of no return." Daichi stated as Shikaku sat down in the place Shizuka had just vacated.

 

"She cheated the entire game." Shikamaru grumbled.

 

"But you didn't notice. But she actually had a strategy for the last few." Shikaku played the game to the end. "It's easy to spot once you know what you're looking for."

 

"You're going to have to teach me that." Shikamaru sighed, "How troublesome..."

 

"Later. Judging by the smell from the kitchen, dinner is almost ready." Daichi led the way back inside.

 

* * *

 

Shizuka arrived at the party at the same time as Hana and they greeted each other outside.

 

"You ready to for this?" Hana teased as they looked into the venue, a restaurant bar that was crowded with Chūnin.

 

"Nope." Shizuka sighed as she turned to look at the darkening night sky. "Why are we doing this again?"

 

"Because we need to meet the people we'll be going on missions with."

 

"Weak excuse. We'll meet them during our new responsibilities anyways." Shizuka scoffed, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

 

"There will probably be some induction thing for us..." Hana was cut off as a round of laughter sounded from within, "Let's go, it can't turn out too bad."

 

Shizuka narrowed her eyes at the older girl before uncrossing her arms and walking into the party, the two of them easily being noticed by some other attendees.

 

"Tiny! Hana! Glad you're both here!" Izumo cheered as he swung his arms around each of their shoulders. "Let's get this all started!"

 

He led the two girls over to Shun and Kaito who were sitting awkwardly between a couple of chūnin telling some stories about their first few missions as chūnin. Kotetsu, having been one of them, noticed who his friend was leading he stood up and called for everyone's attention.

 

"All of our newest chūnin have arrived! Firstly: welcome to the ranks!" Kotetsu smirked at the shuffling the quartet did before he started pointing at each one of them, "Aburame Shun, Hitotose Kaito, Inuzuka Hana and Nara Shizuka, we're looking forward to working with you all."

 

The chūnin cheered and while the other three just sighed at being the centre of attention Shizuka just glared between Izumo and Kotetsu, who she was pretty sure had organized this entire thing.

 

"We have a little  _induction challenge_  for you," Izumo smirked as he pulled out reinforced cuffs. "Your task is to get out of these reinforced cuffs, not chakra dampening as we – unfortunately - couldn't get a hand on any of those. And lock them on one of your competitors."

 

"Rules are simple: No chakra. No outside help, there is a key somewhere here, but good luck finding it. And please don't break the cuffs. If we catch you cheating you are disqualified. Whoever wins gets to have one shift covered by each of the others."

 

As Kotetsu explained what the challenge entailed Izumo and a few other chūnin locked the cuffs around each of their wrists and behind their backs. Once they all were secured the chūnin took a step back and a small circle formed around them, allowing them some space.

 

Shizuka took a moment to look around her friends. Shun had his usual blank face but judging by how his fingers were twitching he was seemingly annoyed at the rather dull task. Hana looked excited as her eyes scanned the room for something to get her out of the cuffs. Kaito was already moving his wrists around probably testing how much he could move before he decided on a plan.

 

"Ready. Set. GO!" Izumo and Kotetsu cheered and the chūnin started yelling encouragement as the three of them started wiggling around rather pathetically, while Shizuka just picked up a couple toothpicks from the counter.

 

She kept her eyes on her competitors who were either trying to move their arms to their front or trying to get an item to fit through the lock. She quickly moved her arms under her legs and received some cheers as she got her arms in front of her.

 

Reaching up she pulled a strand of her hair and wrapped it around two toothpicks to make it slightly stronger. She moved the toothpicks into the lock and focused on the shadow of her hand stretching it into the lock together with the picks.

 

Using the shadows to poke around she felt one pin click into place. She looked up and shook her head, snorting at the laughter from the chūnin at her apparent failure. Taking the toothpicks back out, she walked around the counter, looking next to the counter she found a cup full of pens and pencils. Smirking she dumped the contents and shuffled them around until she found a paperclip.

 

' _Perfect.'_ She moulded the paperclip, not really caring and attached it to the end of the toothpicks by wrapping the other end around the wooden picks. While behind the counter she again focused on her shadow before moving her little contraption into the lock.

 

_Click_

 

Removing the cuffs she raised them to eye level and shook them smirking at the answering cheer from the crowd. Looking at her friends, she noticed Shun was nearly out and walked over to Kaito.

 

"Sorry, Kai, you're the closest one to me." Shizuka smiled sweetly as she locked the cuffs onto her teammate's wrists answering his glare with a ruffle of his hair.

 

"Tiny has won! Looks like you're having three shifts covered!" Kotetsu cheered and as she walked over to one of the tables and slumped down at Masaru's side.

 

"How did you do it?" Masaru asked as he kept his eyes trained on the other three, clapping when Shun got out of his cuffs and locking them onto Kaito as well.

 

"Weren't you watching? Paperclip and toothpicks."

 

"Sure..." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, Shizuka met his gaze levelly before sighing.

 

"Fine, I may have used shadows, the rest was for show to cover it up."

 

"That sounds more like you."

 

Moments later Hana cheered as she got herself free, nearly skipping over to where Kaito had just slumped down, defeated. Izumo retrieved the key and unlocked the cuffs, and storing them away while the chūnin dispersed around the room to different tables and the bar.

 

The new chūnin congregated at the table along with Kenji and Masaru who were there to support their teammates. Each had a soft drink as none of them was allowed to drink yet.

 

"To a new page in our careers." Kaito said as they clinked their glasses.

 

"And Kenji and Masaru who will have an intense six months till the next exams." Shizuka added, the chūnin smirking at the wrinkled noses of the two genin.

 

"At least we won't have new duties. You guys will barely have any free time." Masaru sniffed as put his drink back on the table.

 

"Well see about that." Shizuka's lips quirked into a sly smile, one her teammates recognized very well and it wasn't usually good news for them.

 

* * *

 

For a couple hours, they sat around the table eating and telling stories and even planning some training sessions to improve their skills. They would occasionally be called over by Izumo and Kotetsu to be introduced to other people they would work with.

 

Over three hours into the party, team four found themselves alone at their table, each simply looking around the room and commenting on people they met and what they knew about their areas of expertise.

 

Eventually, they grew tired of commenting on other people and simply lapsed into silence as they ate the snacks on the table.

 

"So what happens to team four now?"

 

"We continue together. Kaito and I will occasionally be off on another task, but they will either fill in or go with fewer people depending on the mission rank." Shizuka said as she munched on some chips from the bowl on the table.

 

"We're also only taking C-ranks of all types, but we'll be allowed higher ranked infiltration if it's not too complicated." Kaito supplied as he picked some up as well.

 

"And training wise?"

 

"Kouta-sensei will still teach us, but well he'll give you priority." Shizuka smirked at Masaru's expression, "Don't worry, it's only for six months until the next chūnin exams."

 

"And on that topic, you'll be taking missions and doing some training with Kenji and maybe another genin who are up to those exams." Kaito smiled, "But I'm sure if they will be fine."

 

"They'll never be as good as you two." Masaru quirked a smile, "I suppose you two will train with me separately?"

 

"Shizuka will help you more on the tactical and mental sides, while I'll cover more ninjutsu." Kaito nodded before smirking at Shizuka who let out a large yawn, "Looks like Zuka is getting tired already."

 

"Yeah, I think I'll head out now. I still need to say goodbye to some people."

 

"See you! Enjoy your week off!" Kaito and Masaru bumped fists with her before she left.

 

Shizuka walked around until she found Izumo and Kotetsu, thanking them for the party. She also made sure to wave goodbye to Hana's team and a couple other people she had met throughout the party.

 

She walked around the counter again, this time heading towards the exit when she heard someone call her.

 

"Well done on the little challenge." Shizuka turned around to see Genma and a few other shinobi around a booth. "Though I'm pretty sure you cheated."

 

"Does it really matter?" Shizuka rolled her eyes before smirking, "Don't you have anything else to do other than crash a chūnin party?"

 

"For your information, I was invited. Though I'm not sure about them." Genma replied as he nodded towards the other tokujo around the booth, "Besides I was curious to see how long you lasted. This isn't exactly your setting."

 

"Too loud and too many people. Bad headache." Shizuka shrugged, causing some to raise their eyebrows, "Ah, I forget it's not exactly common knowledge yet. I'm a sensory type, kept it hidden until now, but officially on that list."

 

"Welcome to the list then. I'm Yamashiro Aoba, we'll probably be working together." He reaches over for a handshake, "What's your range so far?"

 

"My max is four miles but I block pretty much everything out for that. As in I will not even hear you talking. The downside I get a massive headache from it too." Her answer caused some looks to be exchanged and Aoba gave an impressed hum.

 

"We can do some training, maybe a way to filter things better as four miles is a lot of ground to cover."

 

"Ah, that would be much appreciated, thank you!" Shizuka gave a small smile before Genma gestured to the other ninjas.

 

"This is Gekkō Hayate, often trains with your sensei as he's another kenjutsu specialist. I believe you've met Tokuma before."

 

"Hai. Good to see you, Tokuma-san. Nice meeting you, Hayate-san." Shizuka gave small nods to each before turning to look over her shoulder. "Anko-senpai! Anything new?"

 

"Tiny! We just some nin from Kiri, very interesting poisons. Surprised Genma hasn't mentioned them to you yet." Anko cheered as she slung an arm around the Nara, "Why don't you pop into the lab sometime, I'll give you a rundown of the tests."

 

"Sounds sweet. How about the day after tomorrow?"

 

"Fantastic. Have you made any developments on the other ones I recommended?"

 

"Not much as I've been busy, but I'll take what I have to show you." Shizuka smirked as the other's eyes flicked between her and Anko as they talked about their experiments before sending weary expressions towards Genma who simply shrugged.

 

"Can't wait to see what your little brain has mixed up." Anko ruffled her hair while grinning broadly as the rest of the table mentally shivered.

 

"Well, as nice as this is, I'm exhausted so I'm calling it a night."

 

"Aw, tiny is tired, is she?" Genma teased as Shizuka took a step back from Anko and the table.

 

"See you all around." She turned on her heal and with a wave over her shoulder she started to make her way home.

 

* * *

 

"Well, back to the grinding." Masaru stretched as they waited for their sensei to arrive at the gate.

 

"At least you don't have new responsibilities." Shizuka sighed, "The new chūnin are expected to do a couple rotations at the gate, patrols, lead missions, and even rotations at Intel, T&I, more paperwork…" She trailed off her tone dull obviously conveying her annoyance.

 

"Don't sound too excited, Shizuka." Kouta's tone dripped with sarcasm, "Besides, it's only been a week, wait till you become jōnin."

 

Shizuka for a moment looked pained before her shoulders slumped and she jumped to the trees.

 

"At least the busier she is the less 'experimenting' she'll do." Kaito snorted as the other three members of team four leapt after her.

 

"On the other hand, think of all the people she'll be meeting." Masaru pointed out, "I saw her yesterday at the dango place with a purple haired woman, they were so focused on a scroll that Shizuka didn't even see me."

 

' _Well, there goes any free time I wished to have with their promotion.'_ Kouta sighed as he started plotting how to keep Shizuka's free time to a minimum.


	18. Leading

 “Speaking.”

_‘Thinking’_

**_Jutsus_ **

* * *

  

“Shizuka, Kaito well done! Why don’t the two of you head home? I heard you had a night patrol yesterday.” Kouta smiled as the two chūnin relaxed from their sparring positions. “Masaru, the break is over! Let’s see how far you got on that jutsu from last week.”

 

“Thank you, Sensei! Have fun, Masa!” Shizuka called as she and Kaito collected their things and waved the other half of their team goodbye. “You have anything today?”

 

“No. Only if a mission pops up.” Kaito stretched as they walked down the main path leading out of the training area district. “How about you? When are you doing that rotation at the intelligence division?”

 

“I have training with Itachi later on. Rotation starts at the end of the month, though Inoichi-Oji is giving me the tour later this week.” Shizuka glanced at the sky, watching the clouds lazily drift by. “It’s kind of boring at home now that Shika is in the academy.”

 

“Is he enjoying it?” Kaito snorted at Shizuka’s raised eyebrow expression.

 

“Competing for the dead last place, actually. Sleeping in class, he’s fine.”

 

“Only your family would take that as perfectly okay. Ka-chan would have killed me. How is your mother okay with this?”

 

“She expected me to be like that, but I was too curious and got into trouble. There was never a hope for two non-lazy Naras.”

 

As they came to the main road they waved goodbye and proceeded to their own houses. On the way home, Shizuka stopped to get groceries for her mother and popped into the flower shop to say hi to Akira, Ino’s mother, and left promising to stop by another time for tea.

 

She spent the afternoon helping her mother cook and even went to her father’s office to deliver food, which he grumbled about as she woke him from his nap.

 

“It’s a miracle anything gets done in this office considering how many times I’ve come here to find you asleep.” Shizuka teased as she munched on an apple as her father ate the lunch and worked on paperwork at the same time.

 

“But it does get done in the end, so nobody is going to complain,” Shikaku smirked at his daughter who shrugged. “How was the night shift yesterday?”

 

“Boring, but I didn’t expect anything else.” Shizuka threw the core of her apple out and shrugged her vest back on. “I’m training with Itachi this afternoon, but I’ll see you at dinner.”

 

“Good luck.” Shikaku nodded as his daughter left the office, his eyes drifting to the pile of paperwork and with a defeated sigh he picked up a new document.

 

* * *

  

“Congratulation on your promotion.”

 

“Thank you, Itachi- _senpai,_ ” Shizuka smirked as Itachi’s eyes twitched in annoyance at the title. “I see we have an audience today.”

 

“Itachi-nii said I could watch you train.” Sasuke tilted his chin up, almost daring her to say he couldn’t stay.

 

“Well no secret jutsus in today’s training, I suppose.” Shizuka mocked before pulling out her tantōs. “Usual warm up?”

 

“Indeed.” Itachi drew his usual katana and stood to face her, his eyes flickering to the usual red.

 

Easily shifting her eyes to his feet, she dashed forward, knowing he wouldn’t make the first move.

 

Sparring with an Uchiha was always an interesting affair. While normally Shizuka could depend on watching every move a person made, including subtle eye movements, up against an Uchiha she was constrained to watching from the shoulders down. Luckily she could use her sensing to help out when they move into ninjutsu, but even then this only came after several training sessions.

 

She grunted as Itachi landed a swift kick to her thighs and sheathed one of her tantōs to grasp at his leg, forcing him to jump backwards.

 

“Focus.”

 

“Why does everyone say that when sparring me?” Shizuka muttered with an exasperated eye roll.

 

“Because your thoughts _always_ drift elsewhere.” Itachi narrowed his eyes, though if she had looked she would have seen his eyes dancing with the slightest spark of amusement.

 

“That was a rhetorical question.”

 

“Then you shouldn’t have asked.” Itachi’s deadpanned as he launched into a combo of strikes forcing her backwards and to the side, putting her in the corner of the training ground.

 

The pair continued to spar for nearly half an hour, switching between their usual fast-paced blows to something slower for Sasuke’s entertainment.

 

Although it took a while, with a burst of speed and a new move Kouta-sensei had taught her she managed to disarm Itachi. As his katana bounced uselessly on the ground behind him Shizuka looked up to meet his eyes with a broad grin.

 

“You’ve learnt new moves.” Itachi launched backwards, not bothering with a genjutsu as Shizuka’s control over chakra and her sensing abilities would allow her to break it easier. _‘Although she should probably practice casting them more.’_ He added to himself mentally.

 

Shizuka rather enjoyed their spars when they involved ninjutsu, despite her always losing. She started testing her theory of element prediction, and as both of them used wind jutsus they traded jutsus when they had a new one.

 

For a long while, the two launched jutsus while the other either countered it with one of their own or dodged the attack. Itachi gracefully evaded all of Shizuka’s shadows while launching wind enhanced projectiles.

 

Just as they reached a small break in their spar, Shizuka’s eyes turned toward the direction she knew was the Uchiha compound.

 

“Incoming.” Shizuka nodded towards a high branch on the tree to their side just moments before Shisui landed on it.

 

“Itachi, your presence is needed.” Shisui glanced quickly at Shizuka sending her a small nod. “Congratulations, Shizuka-chan. I’m sure you’ll do well in the future.”

 

“Thank you, Shisui-san.” Shizuka nodded back before turning to Itachi who was already picking up his things. “You know where to find me. Sasuke-kun, good luck with the academy.”

 

With mirrored nods from the Uchiha siblings, she made her way down the patch in the direction of the Nara compound. She sighed as she left the empty path and into the main road which was filled with people running errands or on their way to their own homes.

 

She was so busy watching people going about their day that she didn’t notice a jōnin approach her.

 

“Nara-san, the Hokage has a mission for you. You are to be at the tower in half an hour.” Shizuka glanced over the woman, her mind linked her to a desk job at the Hokage tower as well as a messenger but came up blank when it came to her name.

 

“Thank you. Have a nice evening.” Shizuka smiled politely and sighed once the woman disappeared back into the crowd.

 

 _‘There goes my nap time.’_ Shizuka jumped onto the roof for the quickest way home.

 

* * *

 

 

As soon as she was inside she gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and tried to get a spoonful of the aromatic broth she was making only to get a slapped by the wooden spoon her mother was using to stir.

 

“Got called for a mission. No idea about length or anything, I’ll get a note. Love you, bye!” After sneaking another kiss to her cheek.

 

“Be careful!”

 

Dashing into her room she got her mission pack and checked the number of supplies she had. _‘One month should do.’_ Quickly popping into the shower, she finished getting ready before dashing down the hallway and checking the backyard finding her uncle and brother curved over a Shogi match.

 

“Got a mission. Bye!”

 

Getting nothing but mumbled goodbyes, Shizuka ran back out of the house and towards the Hokage tower. On the way, she caught up with Kaito, who also had his mission pack, and they ran the rest of the way.

 

They are sent to the Hokage’s office as soon as they arrive and are greeted by Aburame Shun and Yamanaka Emiko.

 

“Hokage-sama.” Kaito and Shizuka give a swift bow before they line up with the other two chūnin.

 

“Thank you all for coming on a short notice.” The Hokage’s eyes drifted across the faces before him as he took a puff from his pipe, “We received intel that a mercenary group is about to close a deal near our border with Land of Rivers.”

 

He reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a folder as well as a scroll, sliding the folder over to Emiko who flicked through it before passing it on to Shizuka.

 

“The mission is to track him to the group’s hideout, basic reckon and if possible make a capture for information retrieval.”

 

 _‘Tracking, infiltration and possibly interrogation, good team selection.’_ Shizuka thought as she passed on the file to Kaito.

 

“This is classed as a high C-rank for the sole reason that it will require a lot, as well as the fact that the opponents while not shinobi, are somewhat trained mercenaries. They might have some genin ranked rogue nin, but we have no reason to believe they have anyone of significance in their employ.”

 

“Who is the captain?” Kaito questioned as the file passed on to the last member of the team.

 

“This being primarily an infiltration mission, Shizuka will be the captain. Good luck.” Shizuka stepped forward to receive the scroll with the mission details, a swift nod in thanks to their leader before falling back in line with the others.

 

“Hai, Hokage-sama.” The quartet chorused before they bowed and left the office starting their ways to the gates.

 

* * *

  

“Zuka, what’s the plan then?” Kaito asked a few minutes after they started tree jumping.

 

“Couple days to the city, we’ll be there about three days before the negotiation was set to happen. We’ll have to do some cross-referencing with the things in the folder, mainly known associates.” Shizuka glanced back, a wide grin on her face, “Probably going to be one of the largest mind maps I’ve made.”

 

“Joy…” Kaito mumbled, “I assume you’ll stay in the room setting that up while we scout the town?”

 

“Yes, Emiko, I apologize in advance for the mess our room will be.” Shizuka sent a smile to the blonde, who just shrugged.

 

“My mother heard from Inoichi about the mind maps. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

 

“Once we locate the mercenary we will follow him to base. Bugs and our,” Shizuka gestured between her and Emiko, “sensory abilities should give us an idea of numbers, depending on what we find the plan is adapted.”

 

“Do you reckon we’ll need backup?” Emiko asked as she fell into step with Shizuka.

 

“It’ll depend on whether the person will lead us to their main base or not. This group is large enough that they have more than one hideout for sure, but we aren’t sure how many. If we encounter the bulk of the force than yes, we’ll probably need to call for backup.”

 

“Unless we do it totally incognito. Grab just the information and leave without them even suspecting we were there.” Kaito suggested from his point at the back of the group.

 

“If it’s a small group we can deal with everything, medium incognito is ideal, if it's large then we scout and plan whether we're doing this quietly or getting backup and dealing.”

 

“You don’t seem to have any faith in that last idea.” Shun stated from his position of the point.

 

“Big takedowns take time and planning, if we destroy the main base without plans for the smaller ones, those who aren’t there will go underground, and it would be harder to find them.” Shizuka explained as she focused ahead with a thoughtful expression, “The Hokage didn’t say we needed to engage, only basic reckon and possibly a capture to bring back, which means observing the hideout and capturing a group leaving on a task so that they wouldn’t be missed immediately.”

 

“So, basically the last part of this mission is up in the air.” Emiko surmised with a grim look, “I don’t like those types of missions.”

 

“Too many variables for the ending, but at least we’re not dealing with shinobi but civilian mercenaries.” Shizuka shrugged as if it didn’t really bother her (but it did).

 

“I really hope you didn’t jinx us just then.” Kaito huffed, earning him a glare from his teammate.

 

* * *

 

 

They made good time to the town and checked into a hotel on the edges of the town under civilian disguises. The girls to one room and the guys to the other. The ascended the stairs to the rooms and before parting in the hallway they checked over their duties.

 

“I’ll go through our usual introduction in town: layout, people, business.” Kaito stated as he dropped his bag to the floor.

 

“Emiko and Shun, while today is basic intel gathering, if you, Emiko, you need to keep an eye out for shinobi and also suspicious behaviour or possible buyers.” Shizuka turned to the two chūnin, her eyes stopping on Emiko as the older chūnin spoke up.

 

“Any idea on what the sale is for?”

 

“Probably a sale of information or workers.” Shizuka shrugged as she pulled the scroll the file was sealed in from her bag, “I’ll have a better look and see if I can find out. Shun, use your bugs to plant them on suspicious people, mark locations you think would be good places to gather information and so on.”

 

“We’ll pass on important information and have you tag them if we find something. We have about four hours until its dark.” Emiko nodded to Shun who answered with a nod of his own.

 

“Try to meet every two hours, I trust you’ll find a good place to meet and exchange information. If you have an emergency come and get me. I’ll head out if I finish this early.”

 

With nods of acceptance, the boys retreated to their room and the girls walked into theirs.

 

“Need help shifting things around?” Emiko asked as she dropped her bag on one of the futons.

 

“That would be helpful, thanks.” Shizuka smiled at the Yamanaka. “How is your mother? She missed the last barbeque.”

 

“My younger brother was sick and so she had stayed behind to care for him. He’s still annoyed you graduated early instead of staying in his class.” Emiko teased as she helped Shizuka move the table against the far wall.

 

“He can deal. He graduated recently, right?”

 

“Just about two months ago. I get to hear him complain about D-ranks every dinner.”

 

“At least he’s energetic. Can you imagine when Shikamaru starts? He’s already lazy and complains about the academy, that plus the usual D-rank whining? I’ll go crazy.” Shizuka pushed her futon into the corner.

 

“He’ll be too lazy to complain besides the classic ‘Troublesome.’ Poor soul will probably be on Ino’s team. He’ll complain more about her than the missions.” Emiko and Shizuka burst into giggles just as the door opened revealing Kaito and Shun.

 

“You two done gossiping yet?” Kaito teased as he opened the door a little wider gesturing for Emiko to head out with them.

 

“No. But we can do so later. Good luck! And stay out of trouble!” Shizuka waved as she pulled out the scroll and unsealed the folder.

 

“From what I’ve heard _we_ should be telling _you_ that.” Shun deadpanned, causing Kaito and Emiko to snort in amusement while Shizuka narrowed her eyes at the bug user.

 

As soon as the three left, Shizuka went about separating the papers into different piles. Pictures, reports, notes she scribbled on from observations and then into areas of involvement. High ranking within the group, foot workers, contacts, buyers, affiliation with politicians. Once she was satisfied with the division she set about drawing the connections with her coloured strings and attaching them with senbon.

 

The hours flew by and Shizuka had just about three-quarters of an hour before the others returned. Sighing as she inspected the tangled web of strings on the floor, she decided to look over everything once more moving things around to help understand things slightly better.

 

Just as she finished going over the finalised map the others came into the room with dinner.

 

“That seems complicated.” Kaito stated as he stopped next to her looking at the map. He tilted his head and shoved the bag with their food in her hands before leaning over and plucking one of the strings, tracing it over to the group of known associates.

 

“Oh, you got dumplings!” Shizuka grinned and threw an arm around Kaito’s shoulder, dragging him into a side hug before guiding him towards the table where the other two had already unpacked their food.

 

“Itadakimasu!” The four chorused before starting their meal.

 

“So, we found no one with shinobi training, at least not that I could tell, but we did see a rather suspicious guy working at a bar on a street just off the main road.” Emiko started the information sharing between bites of her chicken curry.

 

“This seems like quite the ordinary town on the main streets. The back streets, however, hold casinos and bars aplenty so I don’t think shady dealings are out of the ordinary on that side of town.”

 

“We’ll have to split up then. I found some pretty ordinary people working for the group that could fade in the day crowd, but as it is a mercenary group they have their fair share of _interesting_ characters.” Shizuka nodded as she placed a notebook and pens on the table.

 

“Have you figured out what the deal is about?” Shun questioned, his eyes darting to Shizuka and back to his food.

 

“I’m still between it being to sell information or to get a job, and only further investigation will get lead to a more concrete answer.”

 

“We didn’t find any info on drug dealers, mafia or anything, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was something.” Kaito supplied, “Might be worth the time to have a look on those groups. What about your little map, anything useful?”

 

“We don’t know much about the higher ranked people, but we identified a former Kiri academy student, Watanabi Minoru, a dropout with average skills from his academy reports. And a man named Sato Taiga, originally from rural Grass country, he was recruited by whoever leads the group.”

 

“What’s so special about him?” Emiko stood as she finished her food and moved over to the map, the other three partially turning to watch as the older girl moved around the map.

 

“For what he lacks in brawn he makes up in brain. No shinobi training as he was reportedly a sick child, however, the guy is rather smart, a lot of free time so he read _a lot_.” Shizuka stood with her plate of dumplings and pointed to their profiles, “Watanabi was last seen in Wind a little over a week ago, and if Sato is as important as we are led to believe makes sense to send one of their only shinobi trained mercenaries with him.”

 

“So, you think they are who’s coming here?” Kaito trailed off slightly as his teammate chewed thoughtfully on her food before she shook her head.

 

“Would you send a high-ranking officer to make a deal?”

 

“They would send a lackey, not a common foot soldier, but a negotiator.” Shun concluded, earning himself a nod from Shizuka. “So why tell us about these two guys.”

 

“Because they are likely in the area and being high ranked they likely move around to other dealings.” Shizuka’s expectant look got a few raised eyebrows from her team.

 

“If we have to capture anyone, those two are our best bets for information. The negotiator is also good, but if he is here to sell information he’ll have some training but probably won’t know the finer details of what he has, that is if he even brings the information straight off.”

 

“Right, why bring valuable information from a secure location unless you are sure it will sell.” Emiko nodded just as Shun and Kaito joined her in analysing the map. “What about if he is selling work?”

 

“Considering who is probably involved in the dealing, it would also mean some level of training, but then it could be a group so only one would show up. They could also get a job and take it somewhere to dispatch a team.”

 

“So, they will likely return to their hideout before the deal is concluded no matter what it is about.” Kaito hummed as he followed a string to another profile.

 

“So, what’s the plan?” Emiko turned to Shizuka who placed her empty box of dumplings on the table and picked up the notebook with her notes, gesturing for the three of them to join her at the table again.

 


	19. Planning

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

The first part of their mission, identifying buyer and seller, was smooth sailing. They took the first two days to study the larger groups of criminal activity. Drug lords, shady politicians and other criminals were identified and tagged for further intel gathering.

 

Once those were identified, they would trap someone in the know and have Emiko get their memories and their information. Then they went undercover with that information to get more complete information and to be able to hear the rumours going around on their side.

 

In the end, Shizuka was right and a politician, who upon further investigation wasn't native to the Fire Country, had been interested in buying information on Konoha forces for reasons still beyond them. After arresting the man and getting the time and place for the deal, Emiko knocked the man out. Kaito was sent disguised as the man to the meeting and after some negotiation, the mercenary set up a new meeting for the exchange to happen.

 

So Kaito shook hands and took the moment to plant one of Shun's bugs and the quartet was now following the Aburame as he led them towards what was hopefully a proper hideout filled with information for them to collect.

 

As they moved silently through the trees, at a rather slow pace considering the mercenary wasn't a shinobi, Shizuka started mentally drawing out possibilities of what could happen from now on.

 

If the hideout was small, they could probably take it on their own with a proper plan. While their mission didn't clearly state an attack, these people were not shinobi trained and for a small base they could take it down.

 

For a medium-sized base, they would have to infiltrate quietly, maybe take down one person and go in disguise. Again, not much of a problem considering they were up against civilian trained people. Even if they could probably handle them, depending on how many people are there Shizuka wished to avoid a direct attack.

 

Although Shizuka doubted they were heading to a large-sized base, she thought over their options carefully. A large base means a significant amount of information stored there, and with only four people they might not have the time to get everything before they left, even if they did it stealthily. If they got caught they would very likely be heavily outnumbered and unless she called for backup before they attacked it wouldn't look good.

 

So, Shizuka hoped for a maximum a medium sized base, without the Kiri dropout and with any luck, they would have no confrontations.

 

It took half a day to get to the hideout and as soon as the mercenary disappeared through the entrance the team converged on a tree just out of earshot.

 

Pointing at Shun and Kaito and then drawing a circle in the air, Shizuka had them do a perimeter check, counting guards and judging an approximate size for the facility. She then signed for Emiko to find a secluded space for them to camp and plan. As soon as the group dispersed Shizuka focused on the base and started counting the number of people.

 

Kaito was the first to return, Shun and Emiko joined them a few minutes later. Leaving bugs in their place they followed the blond girl to the small cave she found between some rocks.

 

"The base isn't small, but I don't think it's a large base. Only counted six guards doing their perimeter." Kaito drew on a piece of paper the approximate dimensions of the base and the perimeter and positioning of the guards.

 

"I tagged each, none were shinobi and shouldn't pose much of a threat."

 

"I counted about forty-five inside the base, so it is a medium sized one." Shizuka sighed as she scribbled the number on the corner of the page so that they wouldn't forget. "The Kiri guy is also here, at least I assume it's him since I got a distinguished shinobi feeling from a single person inside."

 

"Stealth is still our best option. We are a fair distance from Konoha and the exchange is supposed to happen in five days. That gives us four days to actually go in and out." Emiko stated, her eye dancing across the pages. "Any ideas on how to proceed?"

 

"I figured watching and figuring out patterns in guard rotation and movement. Shun can your bugs get us a layout inside?"

 

"A rough idea yes, but for more details ambushing a guard and getting the layout straight from them would be better."

 

"Emiko, how good is your mind manipulation?"

 

"I can alter small things, tricking the mind on time passing is the easiest, not so good with altering memories."

 

"That's fine. For now, let's set up rotations for watches and I'll get to thinking on a detailed plan."

 

* * *

 

Shizuka and Shun moved quietly through the corridors towards the chief's office.

 

Their plan had run perfectly until that point. Ambush four guards and take over their identities, get a layout from them and get back inside when it was time to swap rotations. Shun and Shizuka would get the information, while Kaito and Emiko ran interference, by using genjutsu, or knocking the people out. If they needed to communicate they had radios as well a sensor in each group, so they could just signal each other too.

 

The chief of the hideout was easily knocked out and hidden under the desk, while the two chūnin collected the scrolls and folders around and sealed them into one of their own scrolls. Once the office was cleared they moved on to another room and repeated the process of looking for important folders.

 

Meanwhile, Emiko and Kaito knocked people out and put them in their bunks, as it was rather late at night. Once they were satisfied they moved to the individual bedrooms, where the most 'important' people would probably be located.

 

By the time they got there, Shun and Shizuka had cleared the offices and moved in their direction, appearing at the other end of the hallway as Kaito and Emiko. They cleared the rooms and eventually came to the last door.

 

"Kiri guy" Shizuka mouthed while they crowded around the closed door. "Brainy sick man too. He probably has the important info with him."

 

Kaito sent her a look and reached for the doorknob, giving Shizuka a nod for her to move in first.

 

Pooling her shadows she moved into the room silently, a true shadow. But unlucky for her, the Kiri guy, Watanabi Minoru, was expecting them and immediately launched a barrage of kunai which she blocked by pulling the shadows to cover her.

 

"Damn it! They are running, Shun now!" Shizuka cursed as the door was opened wider. "We need to clear the compound, Kaito some fire would be nice."

 

Shun and Shizuka dashed forward after the retreating duo, while Kaito started a fire before running after them.

 

The Kiri guy was surprisingly fast, for someone who never graduated, but she figured A) Bloody-Kiri standards were a bit different and B) Nothing was stopping the man from training more after he left his village over a decade ago.

 

"One tracker on each of them. Do you think they are heading to another compound?"

 

"Probably going to try to throw us off first. The guy is fast, put a fair distance between us." Shizuka sighed as she pushed her senses further, clearing the area ahead to ensure they wouldn't fall into a trap.

 

The chase continued for a fair hour, with the Konoha team gaining a bit of ground and then the targets gaining speed and making the distance back again. It was only at the end of the hour that Shizuka picked up strong shinobi signatures up ahead.

 

"Shit! High ranking ninja up ahead. We need to catch them NOW." Shizuka turned to Kaito at the back who narrowed his eyes at her. "I can slow them down a bit, but you need to catch up quickly. Emiko your orders until you catch up."

 

"Go ahead. Shun keep track of the distance." Emiko nodded and took Shizuka's position in the formation while Shizuka sprinted full speed up ahead.

 

Concealing her chakra the best she could, Shizuka ran at her full speed ahead, quickly making up ground until she could see the targets just ahead of her.

 

Watanabi glanced over his shoulder and spotted her and the projectiles she had launched easily dodging them, but he didn't expect the gust of wind that caught him mid jump, blowing him into a tree. He fell to the ground losing grip on his charge and rolled back onto his feet to confront the Konoha kunoichi.

 

"Quick little thing, aren't you?" He pulled out a katana and she unleashed her tantō. "Saito-san, continue on, I'll join you shortly."

 

"Oh, he's out. Will be for a while." Shizuka smirked, her eyes landing on the senbon in the lower back of the unconscious man, the academy dropout looked between his fallen charge and her, almost as if contemplating something.

 

' _I think I understand while Itachi practices that so much.'_ Shizuka smirked as she locked blades with the man from Kiri, grunting as the man pressed his katana down harder.  _'The others need to hurry, this guy is strong.'_

 

Her luck was that they were in the middle of a forest and although this guy was good at taking water out of the air, she should be in the clear of water jutsus as she suspected his affinity to be. For now, they traded blows with the blade, and although she was faster, the guy was a kenjutsu master and had landed a few cuts on her upper arms and shins that stung quite a bit.

 

But as predicted her team did make it in time, Kaito launching between the man and Shizuka just in time to block a heavy blow to her midriff. The man's surprise bought her enough time to weave through handsigns for a shadow capture, but the man launched backwards as he noticed her shadows launch towards him.

 

Shizuka glanced around to spot her teammates. Shun was standing over the unconscious target, Emiko was perched on a branch behind them, her senses pushed and a concentrated look on her face.

 

"Four high levelled shinobi entered my range, we need to move." Emiko said as she looked down at her three teammates on the ground.

 

Shizuka tilted her head at Kaito before she jumped into the shadow of the tree next to Shun.

 

"We don't have time to capture, take him down in any way you can." She whispered to Shun before she launched her shadows into the trees and around the man.

 

Kaito launched an attack and Shun sent waves of bugs to push the man back. In the end, Kaito's blade found its mark through Watanabi's side just as Shizuka's shadows trapped the man's body in place.

 

"We need to move, no time to deal with the body." Emiko's voice sounded from above.

 

That got the three younger chūnin to move quickly. Shun sent bugs to decompose the body while also collecting the prisoner and jumping into the trees.

 

"They will not leave any evidence of a fight. They will return to me later." He explained as he fell into the middle of their formation, with Emiko in the lead and Shizuka and Kaito at the back.

 

"Kaito, genjutsu, I'll try to send a false trail. Shun could you use a jamming technique?" Shizuka pushed her senses as Shun released another wave of bugs.

 

The genjutsu wasn't going to do much against Jōnin, but its objective was to slow them down even by a little bit, while the jamming was another layer to their confusion, while Shizuka used her shadows to cast a signature in another direction away from them.

 

For a few hours, they travelled silently at a fast pace to put as much distance as they could. They took turns carrying the prisoner and after carrying the man once each they took their first break.

 

"The shinobi are at the edge of my range, so four miles out. But they are heading away from us for now." Shizuka sighed as she leaned against the tree and pulled Akimichi ration bars for Shun and Kaito while raising an eyebrow at the Yamanaka, "Eat up and rest, we'll move again in a couple of hours."

 

"Wonder where you get your supply?" Emiko snorted as she pulled the same Akimichi bar from her own pack.

 

* * *

 

Seeing the gates of Konoha brought a rather warm feeling to Shizuka's chest. This had been her first serious mission as the team leader and she was rather pleased with how it turned out. Even if it hadn't been anything higher than a C-rank it was a good test for her leadership position and a good way to start.

 

Walking through the gates they checked in with Kotetsu and Izumo who happily greeted the successful team and sent a messenger ahead of them to request someone to collect their prisoner.

 

"Would you look at Tiny, bringing a gift for T&I from her first big mission. They grow up so fast!" Izumo sighed dramatically before Kotetsu waved the group through.

 

"Welcome back, you four. See you around!"

 

The quartet walked towards the Hokage building where they quickly spotted two guys from T&I, obviously awaiting their newest subject. Handing the man off, they made their way to debrief.

 

That's one thing Shizuka didn't enjoy about infiltration. Because of the information, they gathered they usually debriefed it both verbally and through reports. The Hokage was usually spared from verbal reports unless it was very sensitive information, if the mission was ranked high enough or if something major happened, like a rank change, death or capture.

 

In this case, the information was somewhat sensitive considering it was concerning the Konoha forces but once they walked into the debrief they found only Inoichi and some other Intelligence worker.

 

"Inoichi-san." Shizuka greeted with a small bow. She couldn't help but feel odd about greeting Inoichi so formally considering the man had babysat her when she was a child.

 

"Shizuka-chan! I heard you got some information from your mission."

 

"Hai." Shizuka smiled and pulled a scroll from her pouch where she had sealed the information they got from the secret base. "I assume you are aware of the basic parameters of the mission?"

 

"Hai, but if you could walk through this from the beginning." Inoichi accepted the scroll and after glancing through the contents he passed it over to the assistant.

 

"The original parameters were intercepting in a deal between a mercenary group and an unknown buyer. Follow the seller back to the hideout and retrieve information." Shizuka listed off, giving Emiko a look for her to continue.

 

"Locating the buyer was simple, a politician who had settled in town little over a decade ago, but not originally from here in the Fire Country. Shun, planted a bug during the negotiation and we followed the mercenary to his base."

 

"Once there we observed rotation and took note of numbers. We also got the layout from one of the guards and planned to go in." Shizuka continued, "We snuck in and started retrieving the files, while Kaito and Emiko knocked the rest of them out to keep them away from us. We found two people that would be of use to us and tagged them both as they made an escape, we started a fire to ensure no one would figure out the hideout had been ransacked. Four Jōnin level shinobi were in their paths, so we pushed the capture, and in the ambush, the Kiri man got killed. We returned without any trouble."

 

"Very well. Any idea on what type of information they had, or how?"

 

"We know it's about Konoha forces, but we don't know how recent or specifics. I do however assume this group has informants spread across all nations. The folder given to us had some decent amount of information. They use mainly civilian trained, but these generally attract less attention than shinobi trained so I can see their reasoning."

 

"Cheaper too. We did get a couple other locations from some maps and from the minds of the guards. We have added a map of our own at the end with what we found. Shizuka also has the layout of her mind map, for further use in this case." Kaito added as he rolled his shoulders.

 

"Well done, it seems it was a smooth sailing mission. Reports due tomorrow at the desk, just pop them in the tray and sign them in. You are dismissed. Shizuka if I may have a word."

 

"Hai." The team bowed and left the room, the assistant worker also disappeared through the door with the scroll containing the collected information.

 

"The Hokage offered for you to start the rotation early, considering it's just a week and a bit earlier. Kouta has taken Masaru and Kenji on a mission and is only returning in two weeks."

 

"Sounds good. Shall we meet tomorrow there?"

 

"Perfect. I will also add that depending on the information from this mission, a new task force might open up for this, in which case you will work there every now and then since you already started it. Otherwise, I have just the task force for you to go into." Inoichi smiled as he passed her the rotation contract, which she quickly signed.

 

"Can't wait. Did you organize that thing I requested?"

 

"I have indeed. Got some odd looks from the people around the office, but I suppose their reactions will be good enough payment."

 

"Thank you, Inoichi-Oji. See you tomorrow!" Shizuka smiled and waved goodbye as she left the room, nodding towards the next team going into the debrief.

 

Shizuka left the administration building and basked in the sun for a few moments before walking towards the Nara compound.

 

As a child, Shizuka didn't enjoy walking through the city too much, at least the first few times her mother had taken her to the main street. Those were the first indications that she had been a sensor. She got fussy when surrounded by lots of strong signatures, thus she always had very short appearances during the Yamanaka-Nara-Akimichi barbeques. But each time they happened, and each time she went to the main street the longer she managed to stay.

 

Nowadays, she had built a tolerance to main streets, and the fact that these people were always around definitely helped. She wasn't able to immediately tell everyone apart, but she could easily find the people she was used to interacting with. Such was the case with her mother.

 

Even while not actively searching for her mother, the familiar feel of her chakra stood out amongst the crowded street market.

 

"Ka-san!" Shizuka walked towards her mother and took the basket from her mother's hand. "Want some help?"

 

"Shizuka, you're back! How was the mission?" Yoshino smiled at her daughter and turned back towards the fruit stand, now both hands-free to select the fruit.

 

"All good! Debriefed with Inoichi-Oji. Oh! And I'm starting the Intel rotation tomorrow, so probably will be in the village for the next month."

 

"How wonderful! I'm having tea with Akira and Miku the day after tomorrow, why don't you join us? Akira said you promised you would when you got back."

 

"Sounds like a plan. I won't be able to stay for too long because of my shift at Intel, but I can definitely spend my break with you."

 

The mother-daughter duo made small talk about what to cook for dinner as well as any other thing that came to mind while they continued the shopping and all the way back to their house.

 

"Why don't you go take a shower while I put these away and start dinner."

 

"I'll help once I'm ready." Giving her mother a kiss on the cheek she moved towards her room to drop her pack and separated the used clothes to drop in the laundry basket.

 

Shizuka took her time getting clean from the grime of travelling and by the time she got out her mother was nearly done with chopping the vegetables.

 

"Need any help?"

 

"Everything is handled. Why don't you surprise Shika at the academy? You'll get there just in time for the end of class if you leave now."

 

"Alright, it'll be nice seeing Ino and Chōji again." Shizuka sighed as she walked to the entrance and pulled on a pair of boots over her leggings and pulled her grey jacket over her head.

 

She walked towards the academy and smiled as she heard the bell ring as the students slowly came trickling out of the doors meeting up with whoever was there picking them up. Reaching out her senses she easily identified Ino and Chōji walking with her brother.

 

"Good evening, little trio! How was your day?" Shizuka smiled brightly as she approached them, pulling Ino and Chōji into side hugs. "Your parents picking you up?"

 

"Actually I was going to pick up all three, but I see Shika won't join us anymore." A deep voice sounded from behind her. "I see you're back from your mission."

 

"Chōza-Oji!" She released both kids to be pulled into her godfather's hug. "In any case, we'll walk together most of the way."

 

"Nara-san!" Shizuka turned to see Sasuke approaching with his hands deep into his pockets and a scowl in place. "Itachi-Nii-san asked me to tell you that he would be away for some time on a mission and that he will let you know when he is back."

 

"Thank you, Sasuke-Kun." Shizuka gave a glance around and spotted Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, nearby waiting for Sasuke to return. "Have a good evening."

 

"Hn."

 

Shizuka smirked as Sasuke returned to his mother.  _'How adorable.'_ Turning back to her little group she shrugged at their raised eyebrows.

 

"Itachi is a good sparring partner."

 

"How was your first official mission as captain?" Chōji asks as they started making their way home.

 

"Surprisingly alright. Maybe my luck is finally turning."

 

The academy rookies started telling her all about their classes, with Ino going on a mild rant about Shika's laziness. Chōza pitched in with memories of his own academy days with their parents and Shizuka laughed along but just listened to her extended family talking.

 

* * *

 

"So, looking forward to your Intel rotation?" Her father and she were leaning over the Shogi board for their second game.

 

"Yes. While desk jobs would usually bore me to death, Inoichi promised me to get me started on a task force to make some connections and that sort of thing."

 

"So, data processing and case building. You'll be seeing quite a few Naras there." Shikaku hid a smirk as his daughter's hand hovered around the board thinking of a move. "Anything else going on this month?"

 

"Kouta-sensei said he got someone to train me with lightning ninjutsu. No idea who, but he did give me a time and date to meet whoever it is. Any clues?" Shizuka sighed as she finally made her move.

 

"I have a few ideas. But you'll find out soon enough." Shikaku snook his head as moved his piece, "What about after?

 

"Aoba-san invited me to train with the sensory squad, to test my limit and maybe help out with my headaches." Shizuka huffed as she observed the board ahead of her. "Besides that, the usual training schedule with you and team four. Itachi is on a mission, so no idea when that will start again."

 

"You'll be rather busy, not a lot of free time."

 

"Which is why Anko has agreed to meet me once a week during lunch to study poisons." Shizuka smirked as her father shook his head at the mischievous twinkle in her eye.


	20. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> I've decided to start looking for a beta. Mainly to bounce ideas off of, but also to maybe help with the flow, wording and for an extra set of eyes to spot any mistakes. If you are interested let me know :)
> 
> Updates will continue regularly, but I will be updating older chapters when I do get in contact with someone. This means that there might be a delay with new updates for a couple weeks until the first few chapters are sorted.
> 
> Also, I tend to respond to reviews via PMs, though I could do it at the end of each chapter, so let me know what you prefer.
> 
> To the guest who suggested Genzuka as a ship name: it's a good option, I haven't really thought of an official one, so if anyone has suggestions :) There is still a while until it happens, but you'll start to see some canon events happening soon.
> 
> Thanks! And Enjoy!  
> xx  
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

Shizuka sighed as she continued to wait for whoever was going to train her on lightning ninjutsu.

 

It had been almost three months since her promotion and she was halfway through her rotation at intelligence. She had just finished tying up some loose strings on her first case and a squad had been deployed to investigate a base for a group of smugglers. She had a couple days off while they waited for the squad to return and so Kouta-sensei had finally come through with setting her up with the mysterious trainer.

 

As half of the second hour ended Shizuka finally felt a signature brush against her natural 'radius of sensitivity' as she called it. She turned to the direction they were coming from and launched a kunai at a tree.

 

"You spotted me much faster this time." Kakashi moved from behind the tree grabbing the kunai and throwing it at her feet. "I heard you wanted to learn lightning release."

 

"Kakashi-san! Yeah, Kaito is now learning a few water jutsu from his father, his second element, so I decided to start one as well. I managed to zap the boys the other day with a jutsu I read about." She smiled at the jōnin. "You have a lightning affinity, don't you?"

 

Kakashi just stared at her smiling at him for a moment before sighing and nodding moving to stand in front of her.

 

"Alright, give me a reason for me to teach you. I've heard you are a magnet for trouble."

 

"Not my fault." She mumbled, crossing her arms across her chest, "And for the reason, if you don't help I'll just find a way to learn myself and that will probably cause some damage…"

 

"True enough." Kakashi shrugged before he focused more intently on her, "First step: speed training."

 

"Seriously?" She uncrossed her arms and slumped.

 

"If you want my help, we are doing it my way. And my way starts with speed training." Kakashi points to the two boulders she meets her team meets at and pulls out a stopwatch.

 

"I will time you. Ready? Set... Go!"

 

Shizuka groaned once before sprinting off, leaving Kakashi to sit on the boulder with his favourite little orange book.

 

* * *

 

 

Shizuka went straight for the shower once she got home and spent some minutes enjoying the warm spray of water on her sore muscles before actually getting cleaned.

 

Once she was ready in her usual grey long sleeve shirt with the Nara symbol on the sleeve and her black shorts she collapsed onto her bed, letting out a content sigh as she closed her eyes, only to snap them open when her father knocked on her door.

 

"Rough morning?"

 

"Kakashi-sensei is mean," Shizuka grumbled as she turned to look at her father as he leaned on the doorframe. "Aren't you late for work?"

 

"Had a late night so decided to go in later today." He shrugged before tossing her a small scroll. "You've been summoned to Intel. Inoichi wants you in for a case."

 

"The squad can't have returned yet." Shizuka sat upright against the headboard to read the small note from Inoichi, "Nope, it's totally unrelated."

 

"Get used to it. Unless you get pulled on a major task force you might end up consulting on a couple smaller ones at the same time."

 

"How fun. Wait for me? We can walk out together." Shizuka looked up to see her father nod before he closed the door.

 

Moving to her dresser she pulled out her chūnin vest and her dark grey skirt that had a zip up each thigh to allow more movement. Pulling on the skirt over the shorts and her vest over her usual shirt she left her bedroom, grabbing her headband from her desk on the way out.

 

As she pulled her hair into a ponytail instead of the usual braid and tied her headband as usual. As she entered the hall she smiled as her father nudged her boots over to her as he pulled his own sandals on.

 

"Has Shika received his first report yet?"

 

"He's amongst the lower quarter of the class." Shikaku grinned down at his daughter as she shook her head.

 

"Mother won't be pleased."

 

"She probably expected it. It's almost tradition. I was much the same, so was Daichi. You're one of the very few Nara that wasn't."

 

"Did you give him a ratio to stick to? You know: get this percentage on every test and so on. You did offer that to me when I joined."

 

"I just told him to pass, so he'll be on that borderline."

 

The father-daughter duo made small talk until they arrived at the Intelligence building which was just a block away from the administration building where her father worked.

 

"See you at dinner, To-san." She called over her shoulder as she walked into the reception hall and smiled at the chūnin at the desk who waved her in.

 

She quickly made her way through the hallways until she found Inoichi's office, knocking softly on the door and going inside once he called her in.

 

"Inoichi-Oji, you summoned me?"

 

"Hai, Shizuka-chan, while you wait for the squad to return with information on the other case, I thought you'd like to be brought into the task force for the case you were involved in during your last mission."

 

"Ah, the mercenaries." Shizuka nodded as she picked up the file the blonde offered her and sat down on the chair across from his desk. "Ibiki-san finished with the prisoner?"

 

"He finished a while ago and we sent a team out for further investigation. They returned late last night." Inoichi stood and gestured for her to follow him out of his office. "Some scrolls were coded, and the cypher division is working on those and once they've finished they will drop them off for you."

 

The pair walked down the hallway and entered a small room that had previously been a storage room and now was Shizuka's 'office', although Inoichi just called it the mind map room.

 

The room had a tiny desk pushed into the corner so that Shizuka could create one of her mind maps. Since Shizuka was currently only involved in one case only one of the walls was covered in papers, but the wall adjacent to that and opposite the door had a map of the countries as they knew. The map had pins of different colours marking specific points and strings leading to whatever information was relevant.

 

"Those boxes by the desk are the info on that case, the diagram of your initial map for that is in there too so that you can put it together faster. Ibiki's report and notes are there too. We will stop by later to check in." Inoichi gestured to the three boxes stacked next to her desk. "Have fun!"

 

With a wave and a smirk, he left the 'office' and left Shizuka to do her thing.

 

* * *

 

Shizuka was exhausted by the time she left the office. Despite the head start she had she hadn't been involved in that case for a couple weeks while the investigation had continued beyond her involvement.

 

So, she had been left to catch up by reading all the documents and slotting them into her mind map that had already been large. She had had to move several chunks of the map to different positions so that she would have space to add everything and also for it to be easier to follow in general.

 

She was so lost in thought that she failed to notice the small form running towards her from her left side.

 

With a grunt, she managed to regain her balance and grabbed a hold of the back of the kid's shirt to keep him from falling over.

 

Looking down at who she caught she just blinked slowly.  _'So bright.'_ Bright sunshine coloured hair and sky-blue eyes narrowed on her while tugging away from her hold.

 

As soon as the boy took a step back from her she heard the approaching footsteps and angry muttering of a group of civilians. Glancing down at the boy who she now noticed was covered in paint she raised her eyebrows when the boy's features twisted into one of panic.

 

With a subtle nod towards the dark alley between two buildings and raising a finger to her lips in a sign to keep him quiet. With quick handsigns, she raised an E-rank genjutsu and warped the shadows to help the boy melt into the shadows.

 

Turning to the incoming group she turned around with raised eyebrows, "Is there something wrong?"

 

"Shinobi-san! The brat tagged all our buildings! It's bad for business!" The man at the front was the first to stop in front of her, looking around for traces of the kid, not even sparing the alley a second look.

 

"Have you seen him?" A woman asked immediately after, her eyes also scanning the street hoping to catch sight of the troublemaker.

 

"While I have no idea who you are talking about, I have not seen anyone running this way."

 

"Damn that brat. Someone needs to do something about him. He's a troublemaker that one!" Some other civilian muttered, but Shizuka just hummed in response.

 

"In any case, just put in a request for a D-rank to have the buildings painted, as it's the fastest way to fix the problem." Shizuka gave them a tight smile and waved them away as they left muttering about the 'brat' and 'monster'.

 

Once they were gone she turned to the alley and released the genjutsu.

 

"Why did you help me?" Sunshine crossed his arms and watched her with narrowed eyes.

 

Shizuka tilted her head and her heart went out to the child that at such a young age he was suspicious of anyone helping him.

 

"I'm a shinobi, I'm here to help and protect." She tapped her hitai-ate that marked her as a shinobi of Konoha.

 

"But you also have to protect them."

 

"They were chasing you. One child against four adults is hardly fair." Shizuka smiled as the boy relaxed a bit before she grinned up at her.  _'A little ball of sunshine, isn't he?'_ Shizuka's lips twitched at her comparison.

 

"What was that thing you just did? Can I learn how to do it too?"

 

"Ah, that's my clan's technique, so no, but you will learn how to hide like I was able to hide you even without the shadows."

 

"That's so cool!" The boy didn't seem too disappointed by the first part of her answer, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! What's your name nee-chan?"

 

"Nara Shizuka."

 

"Ehh, Nara? You're related to Shikamaru?"

 

"Hai, he's my little brother."

 

"He's so lazy! He always sleeps in class!"

 

Shizuka chuckled at his annoyed expression and shrugged, "He just lacks the motivation."

 

"But we're training to be ninja! It's all so cool!" Naruto pouted, "I know! I'll help motivate him so that he can become a cool ninja like his nee-chan!"

 

Shizuka grinned at the idea of hyperactive Naruto trying to motivate Shikamaru.

 

"But it must stay a secret between us." Shizuka grinned and offered Naruto her pinky, "Promise you won't tell Shikamaru I agreed to this."

 

"I won't! I promise, nee-chan!" Naruto linked his pinky with hers and grinned before his stomach rumbled, a flush taking over his face, "I need to go! Bye, nee-chan!"

 

"It was nice meeting you, Naruto-Kun." Shizuka chuckled as the boy resumed running home.

 

On her way home, she thought about Naruto and his situation. She had been five when the Kyūbi had attacked. To be honest, she didn't remember much of that night specifically, but rather the following days and the talk on the streets before the Sandaime forbade it from being spoken of at all.

 

The night the Nine-tails attacked was rather blurred in her memories. She remembered feeling overwhelmed by the malevolent chakra that permeated the air. She remembered being carried to a bunker and huddling around her younger brother and trying to stay awake despite a pounding headache.

 

Before she knew it, she found herself removing her boots at the entrance hall of her house, her mother's cooking smelling faintly of vegetable broth and spices.

 

"Need any help, Ka-san?"

 

"Ah! Why don't you set the table for me? Your brother should be done with the shower by then."

 

Shizuka shuffled around the kitchen to get the things for the table, a soft smile as her mother hummed the lively tune of some songs she couldn't remember the words to.

 

Her brother helped - after receiving a glare from their mother - with the cutlery as she moved to her room to get clothes for a shower.

 

She walked back into the dining room as her father was helping their mother bring the food to the table.

 

They ate while exchanging notes about their days. Yoshino had had tea with Ino's and Chōji's mothers and they had asked when Shizuka would be able to have tea with them. Shikaku had a 'troublesome' day at the office, and Shikamaru echoed his father's sentiment about the academy earning themselves a stern look from the Yoshino and an amused one from the younger girl.

 

Shizuka told them about her run-in with a little blond troublemaker and Shikamaru frowned as she finished.

 

"Why do people avoid Naruto like he's the plague?"

 

Shizuka leaned back her eyes landing on her father who shared a look with Yoshino while Shikamaru was trailing his fingers on the rim of his cup.

 

"Shikamaru… What do you think of Naruto?"

 

"He's an idiot. But he's also funny. I don't understand why people treat him the way they do."

 

"Then act as you believe you should."

 

Shikamaru looked pensive before glancing over at his older sister who just smiled which solidified his resolve.

 

"Making friends is troublesome, but since he'll be my comrade one day I might as well start the effort now."

 

Shikaku hid a smile behind his cup of tea, while the two women shared an amused smile.

 


	21. On the Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\
> 
> Hey!
> 
> Sorry for the delay in posting this new chapter, but as I mentioned in the last chapter I was busy getting a beta! So thank you, Kaname84 for your help! Honestly would've taken me forever to get it done on my own (and it would never be as good as it became with her help). We have edited up to Chapter 6 by now, so this one isn't edited, but I just wanted to post something to update you all on the status as well as continuing with the story.
> 
> Since I've received this question a couple of times, I'll clear up the ages of the characters. In canon (at the start of Naruto) Genma was 29-30, but I've made him younger by about 4 years, making him 25-26 when that part of the storyline starts.
> 
> This means, at the time of Shizuka's promotion to Chūnin:
> 
> Genma, Kakashi etc - 19-20
> 
> Kaito, Masaru, Hana etc - 14
> 
> Itachi - 13
> 
> Shizuka - 12
> 
> Naruto, Sasuke etc - 7
> 
> Hope that clears it up!
> 
> Thanks! And Enjoy!
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

 

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

 

* * *

 

 

As much as Shizuka enjoyed working for the Intel division, going out on missions with a team gave her a whole different kind of satisfaction. Team four missions especially, where they had connections to make, information to collect and the occasional fight. Although those were not usually expected, it had happened before and she was sure it would happen again.

 

It was supposed to be a simple C-Rank mission but things simply weren't going their way.

 

The mission was to the Southwest to the border with the Land of Rivers and find out who was dealing drugs in that area. It wasn't anything they hadn't done before and there had been no indications that this would turn out to be any harder than the given C-Rank.

 

So when they got there and sensed high ranking shinobi just beyond the border they assumed it was their border patrol.

 

They proceed as if it were any other mission and they settle into the hotel, Shizuka sets up her map while her team goes out to the town to explore for a bit. By the time they get back, Shizuka is annoyed that she couldn't find anything in the files they were given that was directly related to drugs but does point out some odd events that had happened in the area.

 

They continued investigating for a few days. They found evidence of other criminal groups passing through the town, whispers of missing-nin and some corrupt politicians, but nothing on the drug cartel they were looking for.

 

"What if we search nearby areas? If there has been so much activity from them here than they probably have a base in the area." Shizuka suggested on the sixth night at the hotel.

 

"Honestly, Sensei, we've entered every shop, walked every street we'll need to spread out a bit." Kaito agreed from where he was lying down, his eyes following their Jōnin-sensei who was reading over notes on the mind map.

 

"Alright, Shizuka see if you can get anything now." Kouta sighed and sat down by the table, while his student closed her eyes to focus.

 

A few minutes passed and Shizuka could feel the sweat gathering on her forehead as she stretched her senses to the limit as she tried to catch the presence of anything in the area surrounding the town.

 

"Those border people are still there and there is a cluster of people outside town." Shizuka snapped her eyes opened and jumped to her feet. Moving to the map at the centre of her map, she drew Xs on the locations. "Just three miles Southwest of here, and the border, well there is a rather large number of highly ranked shinobi there."

 

"Odd. We'll have to steer clear from them. We'll investigate the location tomorrow." Kouta sighed as he stood and stretched out. "We should call it a night. We'll work out logistics for this in the morning."

 

"Sensei, what would happen if we exhaust all our options here?" Masaru questioned as he too stood up to return to his room.

 

"Mission is declared incomplete, they will have a look at it at Intel and will either be passed back to us or given to a new set of eyes. It's not a fail if we have something to show for it but not successful unless all mission objectives are completed."

 

"Well let's hope we actually get proper information tomorrow. An incomplete mission isn't good enough." Masaru yawned halfway through his second sentence which took away from his determined tone.

 

"Goodnight then. See you all tomorrow." Shizuka waved as the three male left her room.  _'Not sleepy yet, so I might as well read over all this again.'_

 

With a sigh, she made her way to the centre of the mind-map with a notebook and pen in hand.

 

* * *

 

The next morning team four made their way towards the cluster of people. With some quick signals passed between them, they confirmed the base was manned by civilians and thus posed no threat.

 

"Masaru, put up a genjutsu to make them sleep. Kaito we will be looking for information. Shizuka, keep an eye out. Radio channel 4." Kouta distributed the radios and waited for Masaru to give the go ahead.

 

Shizuka felt the layered genjutsu hit the base, the people started swaying on their feet before collapsing into heaps on the floor. She spread her senses inside to ensure they were all down, and as soon as she confirmed it her teammates immediately jumped down and went inside.

 

She spread her senses again, this time towards the border where the probably-not-border-patrol shinobi were. They hadn't moved from their area so she continued checking the area around the base.

 

"Shizuka, we found scrolls of information on the hidden villages." Kouta's voice cracked through the radio.

 

"It's from the same group as last time, Shizuka." Kaito spoke quickly, "The ones at the border, do you think they are the same as the ones we ran from?"

 

"I can't really tell if they are the same, and I'd honestly rather not find out." Shizuka answered, "I don't remember reading that the group had a base in this area, but we could have missed something at Intel."

 

"We did find the drugs though, so we're sealing them away and cleaning the hideout. The civilians still under the genjutsu?" Masaru spoke up. In the background, Shizuka could hear scrolls being moved and sealed.

 

"Yeah, they are all out. Not many people at the border now, I think some have moved towards town though, which means we need to be discreet when we get there and preferably head back soon."

 

"Copy. We're nearly done here. Anything else?" Kouta asked between sealing the information away in a storage scroll.

 

"Let me check the perimeter." Shizuka sighed and spread her senses out again, her mind half focused on the shinobi that had moved into the town while simultaneously checking the other directions.

 

Ignoring the headache slowly building up behind her temples, she gasped as she felt the unmistakable feeling of another sensor brushing against her own senses. Instinctively pulling her chakra as close to her core as she could her mind shut down from the sheer power that had pushed against her senses.

 

"Shizuka! Answer me? What happened?" Kouta's voice sounded firm through the radio.

 

"Sorry, Sensei, there is a sensor approaching. And a very strong one at that." Shizuka stood turned in the general direction she expected them to come from, "Not the border people, it's coming from the East, and I don't think they are alone."

 

"Think we can avoid them?" Shizuka barely jumped when her Sensei landed on the branch beside her. "Come on, Shizuka, focus."

 

"They were focused on this direction, hence how our senses collided. Definitely found me, might be able to track me if he got a good sense memory."

 

"What about the border group?"

 

"If we go back to town now then we'll get stuck between two groups, heavily outnumbered."

 

"Then we deal with whoever is coming quickly and head back to Konoha. I'll send a summon to get our things." Already flying through handsigns, Kouta summoned a group of four squirrels. "Arata, I need you to get our things from the hotel, don't forget the mind-map."

 

"Hai, Kouta-kun." Arata and the other three launched into the air in the direction of town.

 

"Shizuka, find the targets." Kouta turned to his youngest student who nodded and closed her eyes and breathing deeply.

 

"Definitely locked onto us. Four of them, ranging from Chūnin to Jōnin." Shizuka opened her eyes and nodded in the direction they were coming from. "They've slowed down, probably realised I wasn't alone."

 

"Take positions. One for each, Shizuka keep an eye on anyone else approaching."

 

The team prepared for the confrontation with reasonable calm. Masaru jumped to the ground, Shizuka and Kaito jumped to trees beside the one Kouta stood on. They waited in silence, not necessarily hiding as their enemy had already found them, but making sure they had some form of cover for whatever was to come.

 

Their enemy attacked first, launching projectiles at Kaito and Shizuka forcing them away from their sensei and right into the paths of two opponents. Shizuka drew a tantō to parry a dark blue haired man's katana.

 

A quick check of her surroundings gave her a glimpse at her teammates' pairings. Masaru was on the ground fighting a scrawny blond man, while Kaito was being tag teamed by a black-haired woman wielding twin blades and a blond woman.

 

Shizuka huffed in annoyance as she had to retreat to dodge the incoming weapons while trying to corner the scrawny man with her shadows. Seems like all the practice she had done with her parents at controlling her shadows while dodging projectiles was coming in handy. However, the crackling of sparks made her mentally groan before she glanced up to confirm her suspicions.

 

"Shit. Masaru, wall now. Make it big." Shizuka jumped back to land by Masaru's side as he flew through handsigns. "Three… two… one…"

 

The explosion shook the earth, and thankfully her other two teammates took her warning seriously as they also jumped for the cover of Masaru's wall.

 

Shizuka sighed and gestured to the ground with an expectant look towards Kouta who nodded and flashed through handsigns before unearthing one of their enemies, quickly slitting his throat.

 

The team didn't have time to rest as the other three launched a new attack, a new urgency to their moves as they were now a man down.

 

Kaito engaged the woman with the twin blades and Kouta went for the blue-haired man who they assumed was the leader. This left the sensor, the blond woman, to Shizuka and Masaru to deal with.

 

They took turns in engaging the woman in close range combat, Shizuka with her tantōs and Masaru with normal taijutsu while the other would cover with long-range attacks.

 

Shizuka was vaguely aware of her other teammates and their battles, but she only checked in periodically so that her focus was centred on her own fight. The sensor was keeping up with her speed but clearly had the advantage of strength over her. As she was continuously pushed back she signalled for Masaru to take over. Locking her left tantō with a kunai she spun around, slashing at the blond's ribs, managing draw blood and an angry curse.

 

Unfortunately, this left her own side open and with a surprising burst of speed, the sensor landed a strong kick to her ribs sending her flying into a tree.

 

With the breath knocked out of her, she took a moment to regain her bearings. Luckily for her, Masaru was quick to cover for her and she took a moment to glance around inspecting the clearing.

 

Kouta had by that point defeated his opponent and was helping Kaito defeat his opponent. Even so, Shizuka caught his glance in her direction as he had probably heard her crash into the tree.

 

With a nod in his direction, Shizuka stood and weaved through handsigns using the shadow the tree provided to extend her own and send it behind the woman. Masaru noticed the creeping shadow and kept the woman's attention away from it and with the help of a projectile from Shizuka, they trapped the woman and finished the battle by slitting her throat.

 

Releasing her jutsu, Shizuka slumped against the tree and Masaru took a moment to lean against it as well. Their attention turned towards their teammates just in time to see Kouta pierce the woman's back with his blade while Kaito held off both her blades with his katana and a kunai.

 

As the woman fell to the ground Kaito moved towards his observing teammates, while Kouta checked the fallen shinobi.

 

"How are you all doing?" Kouta asked as he approached Masaru and Shizuka once he was done searching the bodies for any information.

 

"Shizuka has cracked ribs, Masaru and I have some bruises but he's used up a lot more chakra than I have." Kaito listed off as he helped Shizuka up from where she sat.

 

"Let's head, back. My summons will find us later." Kouta sighed and waited for them to adjust themselves and was about to move out when the youngest team member spoke up.

 

"Uh, Sensei… That might not be possible. The shinobi that moved from the border to town are heading this way." Shizuka winced both from her ribs and unimpressed looks she received. "Four more heading this way, high ranked probably."

 

"Can we outrun them?" Masaru glanced between his female teammate and their sensei.

 

"Not in this condition, but we won't have to. I think there is a rogue nin base in the area. We can guide them there and escape in the confusion."

 

"Too risky, we might get caught in the crossfire." Kouta shook his head, as he thought over their options.

 

"Sensei, these shinobi are above our level, we could maybe take them if they were two or three if we got lucky…" Shizuka trailed off, "If we set up a trap to take one or even two of them down we can try to fight the rest."

 

"Masaru, throw up a genjutsu, Shizuka, track their signatures and prepare for another fight. Kaito you're with me." Kouta launched into the trees while Shizuka and Masaru stood together with their backs to a group of boulders.

 

Once the genjutsu was up Masaru leaned back against the boulder before turning to observe Shizuka.

 

"No idea what they did, but they caught one of the enemies by surprise. Get ready, they are nearly here." Shizuka whispered to Masaru before she stepped back into the shadows.

 

Knowing his teammate was hoping for a surprise attack with her shadows, he straightened up just as his other two teammates burst into sight, with three shinobi appearing right after of them commented on Shizuka's absence, instead they got ready for their new opponents to make a move.

 

From her position, Shizuka observed each enemy and considered who she would ambush first. Unsurprisingly their sensei was the best off out of the three and so she turned towards the younger two. Kaito seemed to be on top of his game that day and was holding up rather well, and while Masaru didn't seem to struggle too much she could sense his diminishing chakra stores.

 

Waiting for the moment Masaru's opponent stepped within her range she immediately caught him with the shadow stitching technique. Masaru didn't even stop to wonder and had already moved to tag team Kaito's opponent who seemed to finally realise Shizuka had been hiding.

 

"In the trees, shadow user. Watch out."

 

Kouta sighed as his opponent immediately shifted so that he was away from the treeline. Shizuka jumped into the fight, helping Masaru and Kaito with their opponent who was proving to be rather proficient at dodging.

 

The fight continued for a little while longer until a thought came to Shizuka. With a quick signal to her teammates, they covered for her retreating form while she spread her senses out. With a gasp and a quick burst of chakra, she pushed her shadows around forcing the enemy to back away from the loose tendrils and into the trees.

 

"They have backup, they are still a few ways off though. I didn't gather specifics."

 

As soon as she finished conveying her message the remaining two opponents launched a coordinated attack, focused on the Nara, only to be blocked by Kaito and Kouta.

 

"Where are all these people coming from?" Masaru groaned as he tried to attack Kaito's opponent only to get punched in the gut before he managed to jump back to avoid a kick to the head.

 

"We aren't exactly being discrete… And they knew they had teammates in this general area." Shizuka sighed as she launched two tendrils at Kouta's opponent only for the man to cut through both tendrils with a wind enhanced blade.

 

Deciding her shadows weren't any use, she drew both tantōs and with coordinated attacks with Kouta, they managed to visibly slow their opponent's attacks and weaken his defence.

 

The next few minutes were a blur as they attacked the last two opponents with a new sense of urgency. And for the second time that day, Shizuka left her side open, which her new opponent also took advantage of before Kouta could make a move to cover her exposed side.

 

With a twist and a grunt of pain, Shizuka dodged the blade to the side but was stabbed in the thigh instead. Slapping her opponent's arm with a lightning jutsu, paralysing his arm she jumped away, landing unsteadily on her feet as Kouta stabbed their opponent in the back with his katana.

 

Kaito and Masaru's opponent realised immediately he was the last one of his little group and landed a swift blow to Masaru's head, sending the boy tumbling on the ground. He had no time to consider anything else before Kaito landed the killing blow.

 

"We need to move now." Kouta moved from where he retrieved the pouches they fallen enemy shinobi had towards Masaru, who was conscious but very obviously dazed from the heavy blow. "Kaito carry Shizuka, I've got Masaru."

 

They launched into the trees and started a fast pace towards Konoha. For several minutes they didn't speak, as they focused solely on putting some distance between them and their pursuers.

 

After a while, Masaru seemed more alert, but Kouta kept carrying him for the sake of keeping up the speed.

 

"Shizuka, status on pursuers." Kouta requested, his eyes still trained on the path ahead.

 

"There are three of them. We've gained some ground, but they are still following." Shizuka momentarily tightened her arms around Kaito's neck as she focused on spreading her senses. "We need something to throw them off, we can't continue on at this pace."

 

"What about the genjutsu and jamming combo from our mission with Emi and Shun?" Kaito suggested this drew a contemplative and a questioning hum from Shizuka and their sensei respectively.

 

"We don't have a jamming technique to use instead of Shun's but a strong enough genjutsu and some focus, it might just work… Sensei, what do you think?" Shizuka opened her eyes and glanced sideways at the Jōnin who had dropped back to run alongside Kaito.

 

"It's our best bet. Masaru, can you manage a strong layered genjutsu?"

 

"Hai. But you might need to supplement a bit as I'm low on chakra." Masaru lifted his head to glance at Shizuka, "Same as always?"

 

Shizuka and Masaru started talking through their actions, as Shizuka managed the diversion and Masaru layered the genjutsu with Kouta adding on some layers of his own to strengthen the facade. Once that was complete, they accelerated their pace again and Shizuka took to updating them every so often on their enemies' progress.

 

"They are slowing down and diverging from our path too." Shizuka slumped into Kaito's shoulder, "We should keep an accelerated pace for a while longer just in case, but we'll be able to slow down soon."

 

Kouta nodded his agreement and the team proceeded in silence. After another mile running, Shizuka confirmed their positions and the team finally slowed down.

 

"Shizuka, you'll have first shift so that you can keep a wide perimeter, Kaito and I will take the middle shifts and Masaru will have the last." Kouta gave their orders as soon as they had settled. "Keep an eye out for Arata and the other squirrels, they should catch up with us sometime this night."

 

With murmured agreements, the team proceeded to munch on the emergency ration bar they kept in their pouches and settled in for the long night ahead.


	22. New Ideas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\  
> Hey!
> 
> Sorry for the long delay! Uni has been crazy and I've been working on editing and writing new chapters. I already have more being written, so I'll be trying to get a regular schedule running again.
> 
> This chapter hasn't gone through the thorough editing of my beta, but she has also been busy, but she will catch up soon. I would also like to welcome AmIValid2 to the beta editing team!
> 
> Thanks! And hope you enjoy!  
> xx  
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

 

Team four managed to return to the village without further incidents and after checking into the village gates they were immediately directed to the hospital.

 

Once Masaru and Shizuka had been admitted into a room, Kouta took Kaito to the administration building for debriefing and sent him home to rest.

 

For the following two days, Kaito trained alone with Kouta while his other two teammates recovered in the hospital.

 

"Without the two of you, sensei has way too much free time." Kaito groans as he collapsed into the chair in her hospital room. "Why did both of you have to get injured."

 

"Because Shizuka attracts trouble." Masaru deadpanned as he sent a mock glare towards their female teammate in her hospital bed.

 

"How do we know it's me? I seem to recall going on other missions without it going to shit."

 

"But this one did. We were in the middle of a conflict between two rogue ninja groups and now both of you are stuck in the hospital for a week." Kaito huffed crossing his arms daring her to push the subject.

 

"Maybe he just needs a girlfriend." Masaru commented wincing as he noticed Shizuka's thoughtful expression, "No, Shizuka, I was joking. We are not getting sensei a girlfriend."

 

"What do you think of the nurse, Asami-san?" She ignored her teammate's head shake and continue speaking, "She's a medic-nin so she's used to the mission schedule, she's smart and nice and really pretty."

 

"Shizuka… Please don't." Masaru shook his head quickly his eyes darting to the door as if making sure no one else was hearing this.

 

"I think it's too late, Masaru," Kaito whispered as they watched their teammate continue contemplating the idea of their sensei and the blond nurse. "To be honest, though, she's had worse ideas."

 

"Not you too!" Masaru groaned, burying his head in his hands.

 

* * *

 

Later that same day, while Masaru had a shower in the attached bathroom, Shizuka took the opportunity to chat with the nurse Asami.

 

"What's it like being a medic-nin?" Shizuka questioned as the nurse checked her chart.

 

"Fulfilling, I may not be out in the field but there is plenty of excitement around here. Though on busier days it does get a little stressful, just like any regular mission I suppose."

 

"Did you go to the academy?"

 

"Hai, my team didn't pass our Jōnin sensei's team, so we were thrown back into the academy, and I was selected for an apprenticeship here."

 

"You've probably met most of the active shinobi by now then." Shizuka smiled innocently at the raised eyebrow the blond sent her way.

 

"I suppose I have met quite a few shinobi, but I wouldn't say most of them. I often end up treating the same people." Asami gave her a pointed look to which Shizuka just shrugged.

 

"No more flowers, I promise."

 

The Chūnin let the nurse finish writing on her chart while she thought on her next question.

 

"And has anyone ever caught your eye?" She whispered as she leaned forward, her eyes wide. And then she flinched back when Asami hit her arm with the clipboard. "Hey! You're not supposed to hit your patients!"

 

"Stop being dramatic, you could have dodged that. Besides, why would I tell you?" Asami huffed while putting the charts back on the foot of the bed.

 

For a few moments, they just stare and before either could say anything, a knock sounded at the door. Shizuka's parents walked into the room, sending a smile and nod towards the nurse before stopping by their daughter's bed.

 

"Well, I'm going to continue my rounds. Nara-chan, you and your friend will be released sometime tomorrow. Have a good day." Asami gave her parents a farewell nod and moved out the door, shutting it gently behind her.

 

"So what exactly are you planning this time?" Yoshino mused as she put a small food container in front of Shizuka, who grinned when she noticed the Akimichi symbol. "Miku sends her well wishes."

 

"Tell her she's the best." Shizuka ignored the question and opened the container and breathed deeply enjoying the smell of the dumplings and miso soup.

 

"Ah, Shikaku-san, Yoshino-san, good afternoon." Masaru greeted as he moved towards his bed.

 

"Masaru-kun, how are you feeling?" Yoshino smiled and gave the boy a box similar to the one her daughter was eating from.

 

"Better, but ready to leave this place." Masaru smiled as he sat on his bed and opened the box, "Thank you for the food! Could you thank the Akimichi for me, please?"

 

"Of course, dear." Yoshino smiled happily and turned to her daughter again, "Shikamaru, Ino and Chōji will stop by after the academy for a few minutes."

 

"Ah, it's been a while since I've spent time with all three." Shizuka smiled, "Ah, Tō-san, I had this idea…"

 

She decided to ignore the exasperated sigh from her teammate and smiled innocently at her parents who had their eyes narrowed.

 

"I haven't done anything-"

 

"Yet…" Masaru mumbled between bites of his food, which earned him a pillow to the face.

 

"Not like I would have tried anything on purpose!" Shizuka never broke eye contact with her father, "And I was wondering if you could help me out."

 

"And what exactly does this idea entail?" He father sat on the chair beside her bed and clasped his hands on his lap.

 

"Using my shadows to map out an area, so that I don't have to go in blind," Shizuka answered, tilting her head and glancing out the window for a minute before continuing, "I imagine it would be easier than sending physical objects, but I'm wary of the consequences."

 

"At least you learnt your lesson." Yoshino shook her head who had decided to check out her medical chart.

 

"You know we'll have to go about this the normal path of developing a jutsu, right?" Shikaku huffed as his daughter slumped.

 

"Research?"

 

"And taking notes." The clan head smirked as his daughter slumped back, forgetting she didn't have a pillow and ended up knocking her head on the wall. "You might want to consult Inoichi, he might have some insight into expanding your senses in such a manner."

 

"He'd be good for the headaches I'll most likely get too." Shizuka smiled sheepishly and her father did let out a laugh at that.

 

"I'll be sure to let him know that's what you care about." Shikaku shook his head and looked at the clock on the wall, "Your mother and I should be going, we need to buy groceries for dinner."

 

"Oh! When is uncle getting back? He's been away for a while…" Shizuka leaned to kiss her mother on the cheek before closing her eyes as each of her parents kissed her forehead.

 

"Last message he sent he was close to finishing the last part of his mission. So I'd say another few weeks." Shikaku answered as he picked straightened up, "I'll see you tomorrow."

 

With final goodbyes to Masaru and her, Shizuka's parents moved out of the room, the door barely clicking shut before Shizuka's pillow hit the side of her head.

 

"Oi! Masaru, that was uncalled for!"

 

"You threw it first!"

 

The two stare at each other for a while before dissolving into laughter.

 

"Are you excited? The next Chūnin exams are little over a month away!" Shizuka asked as she put the pillow behind her and made herself comfortable.

 

"Ah, yes, though I'll miss training with you and Kaito this month. Sensei wants Kenji and I to get into the groove of working together, we'll be meeting our third teammate later this week."

 

"Ah, it's someone from the year above, right?"

 

"Hai, a medic actually, after her teammates passed she started training to be a medic. She's decided to try again and we're the only incomplete team." Masaru sighed, "I was going to ask you and Kaito for any advice."

 

"Meh, the first test should probably have a trick to it, stay alert for survival test and in the battle stage try to plan ahead of your opponents."

 

"Not as easy as you make it seem…"

 

"You'll be fine, rely on your teammates, if no one takes initiative delegate tasks. They are looking for leadership skills as well as more practical skills."

 

"Right." Masaru yawned, "Speaking of taking initiative, are you really planning on playing matchmaker?"

 

"Might as well, right? It'll be a task for whenever I'm here and besides Kouta-Sensei is fun to mess with."

 

"Well, I can't say I won't enjoy watching this unfold. So do let me know if you need help."

 

"Will do."

 

"I honestly fear for your Sensei's sanity." Shikamaru's voice sounded from the door.

 

"Baby Ino-Shika-Chō!" Shizuka grinned as she waved the academy students into the room. "How was the academy? No Shika, not you."

 

"We did history and maths today since the weather wasn't too good for outdoor activities." Ino laughed at Shikamaru's slouching after being overlooked by his sister. "When do we start to do more interesting things?"

 

"The second year is when more practical things other than running and stretching starts." Masaru supplied as Shizuka shuffled to the side, inviting Ino and Chōji to sit while Shikamaru slumped into the chair.

 

"Shika will actually have to participate in those, no chance to fall asleep in practical lessons." Shizuka grinned and high fived Ino as Shikamaru groaned and slumped further into his seat.

 

"Nee-chan, there is this cute boy in our class!" Ino's eyes lit up as she leaned closer to Shizuka, "His name is Uchiha Sasuke! And he's so cool!"

 

Shizuka blinked slowly and she didn't even spare her brother a glance when he groaned and mumbled his signature phrase.

 

"Don't you train with an Uchiha? I think I hear Shikaku-Oji say so to Tō-san a while ago."

 

"Hai, Itachi-Senpai, Sasuke's older brother actually." Ino nearly squealed in delight and started firing off questions in rapid succession.

 

"I don't have much time to think about boys, Ino… I'm busy enough as it is."

 

"But nee-chan! Don't you have a crush on anybody? Your teammates?"

 

This earned a choking sound from Masaru before the two shinobi burst out laughing.

 

"Oh god! Can you imagine me having a crush on one of you two idiots?"

 

"I should be insulted, but the notion is ridiculous."

 

"Nee-chan!" Ino pouted, earning herself a pat on the head.

 

"No, Ino-chan, no one has caught my eye. I promise to let you know if that changes." Shizuka looked to her brother and Chōji who both had wrinkled their noses as the conversation continued, "Now, other than that what news from the academy?"

 

"We have a few group projects to do, we will find out our groups soon." Chōji commented, his hands in his lap as he fiddles with his hands.

 

"I'm sure you'll make many friends, Chōji." Shizuka smiled encouragingly at the young boy, "Group projects are the starting point for teamwork, which will become a vital skill when you are placed in your squads."

 

"Speaking of, how was the mission that landed you here?" Shikamaru finally spoke up from his seat, his two friends also focused on her, their eyes flicking occasionally to Masaru who had picked up a book from his side table.

 

"We got caught in a bad position. At least they were waves of enemies which gave us time to regroup." From the years of hearing her father give brief descriptions of his missions without actually revealing anything that would be classified confidential, Shizuka liked to think she had picked up on the skill.

 

"Troublesome… Can you never have a mission go according to plan?" Shikamaru's response got another snort from Masaru who ignored the glare his teammate sent him.

 

"Plans change." Shizuka sniffed, and the kids giggled as she pouted and crossed her arms, though they stopped as a knock sounded from the door and Asami poked her head in smiling at the young academy students.

 

"I'm sorry kids, visiting hours are ending. You'll have your troublemaking sister and her friend back home tomorrow." The nurse pulled the door open and waited patiently as the kids hugged Shizuka goodbye and shuffled out the door.

 

Shikamaru was the last to leave and turned to the two shinobi when he stopped at the door.

 

"Lights?"

 

"Yes please, thank you, otouto. Goodnight!" Shizuka smiled her little brother as she laid down.


	23. Attention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\
> 
> Hey!
> 
> Just a heads up: there is a longish time jump, but based on what they've been talking about and what they say in this chapter you can get an idea of what they've been doing.
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks! And Enjoy!
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

 

Two and a half of months went by with team four barely seeing each other at all. Kaito had been called on a long two-month mission a couple of weeks after his teammates were released from the hospital. Masaru had gone into intensive training and missions with his temporary team under the supervision of Kouta-Sensei. And Shizuka had intensified her training with Kakashi who had finally started teaching basic lightning jutsus and the sensory squad.

 

Therefore, when the first opportunity arose, they took it and had a team lunch in a dango shop to celebrate Masaru's promotion to Chūnin and to catch up. Shizuka and Kaito asked for a full rundown of what the tests and the competition were like.

 

"Well, I'm sad we missed that final. Sounds like it was quite the show." Kaito laughed as Masaru finished describing the fight, "Well done, Masaru. We knew you could do it."

 

"Yes, we're all very proud." Kouta smiled at his students. "Now team four has officially run its course. The squad will remain for high-level infiltration missions, but you might have other people join in or not be in the same squad at all."

 

"Shame. I was just warming up to them." Shizuka teased as she sipped her tea her teammates only rolled their eyes.

 

"We should still meet up, not having you guys around will make life boring." Masaru suggested, and the others smiled and nodded in response, "Now Sensei, you said you had something for us?"

 

"Technically not your Sensei anymore, but I doubt you will stop it." Kouta looked at his former students and by their expressions, he knew he was right, "Yes, I have gifts for your promotion. It took a while to track these down, but I managed."

 

He reached into his pouch and pulled out three unassuming scrolls, handing one to each student.

 

"Those are summoning contracts. Kaito, you have the lemurs, agile and surprisingly good with blades. Masaru you have the bats, not big fighters but adept at genjutsu. Shizuka, you have the racoons, intelligent and too curious for their own good. "

 

"How did you get these? Aren't summoning contracts hard to come across?" Kaito asked as he opened his scroll and skimmed the names of the previous summoners.

 

"The squirrels contacted the racoons and the lemurs, but I had to go meet an old contact to get the bats." Kouta rubbed the back of his head as his students grinned at him in excitement.

 

"Best gift ever!" Shizuka cheered as she nudged Kouta with her shoulder as he was sitting next to her, while the others sat across from them.

 

"They match our specialities and personality. Thank you, Sensei, these will be much treasured." Kaito smiled and rolled his scroll around. "But you'll have to help us out with this, so how about one last training?"

 

"Fine, we can start in a week. Masaru and I need to relax after so long away." Kouta sighed and leaned back into his seat.

 

" _You_  need to relax? You helped me train for that month, and then you were just watching." Masaru shook his head as his Sensei just shrugged. "But I agree. Next week."

 

For the rest of their lunch, Shizuka and Kaito filled the other two in on the missions they received while the others were in the exams.

 

* * *

 

Another week went by and Shizuka had finally completed a basic rotation in the different sectors of the village, allowing her more free time to work on specific areas of interest, such as the sensory squad. Initially, they ran some protocols with her, such as signalling and leaving trails of chakra imprints that only other leaf sensors would know what to look for.

 

They had her do a whole load of scavenger hunts around the village and surrounding areas and repeatedly tested on her range and sensitivity.

 

Shizuka waved at Aoba who had trained her in all the sessions so far. She was surprised to notice that he wasn't alone this time and standing beside him was another man. The man was tall and wore the Intelligence Division uniform with half of his head wrapped and his hitai-ate across both his eyes.

 

' _Interesting… He must use his sensing abilities to navigate.'_ Shizuka came to a stop as the stranger introduced himself.

 

"Shizuka-chan, I'm Tobitake Tonbo. I work for the analysis department in the Intelligence division but am also on the sensory squad."

 

"It's a pleasure meeting you. Your abilities must be very refined if you can fight without the use of your eyes." Shizuka nodded her head slightly in his direction as he chuckled at her blunt statement.

 

"Hai, and I hear you need help in refining yours."

 

"Hai. My range is still four miles, but it leaves me with a pounding headache." The Nara explains, her eyes briefly darting between to men, "I assume that's what we'll be working on in these practices?"

 

"I will help you in narrowing your focus, allowing you to pinpoint more accurately specifics. I can also help you with pushing your senses out while keeping attention to your immediate surroundings, that is what Aoba is here for." Tonbo explained as he gestured to Aoba.

 

"Let me guess: dodge training?" Shizuka deadpanned, bringing smirks to both of the guys' faces. "How troublesome."

 

"Such a Nara…" Aoba teased as he sat down on the grass, "Before that, we will narrow your focus. I've informed a few people of this training and requested they let me know where they would be in the village around this time. Don't worry, these are people you know."

 

"You need to tell us where they are, now no cheating, you can probably figure out where some of them are simply based on their schedules, so do try sensing them."

 

"Alright, who am I searching for?" Shizuka closed her eyes and prepared herself for the names.

 

"To start with someone you'll be very familiar with, find your father." Tonbo sounded from just in front of her.

 

' _He'll probably be around administration, so North of here.'_ Shizuka breathed in and allowed her senses to stretch out. Obviously, the two men next to her were the most notable signatures as they were so close. She could tell both were sensing the area around them, she could feel their senses brush.

 

"He's in the administration building." Shizuka frowned, it seemed off, almost blurry, it took her a moment to realise why "He's suppressing it."

 

"Yes, we told some of the people, the ones you will be most familiar with to suppress it. Now, that you've pinpointed him, how many others can you feel?" Tonbo confirmed, his own senses continuously weaving around hers.

 

"Too many. The administration building is crawling with ninja." Shizuka sighed, "You want me to focus on my father's signature until I can pretty much ignore all others?"

 

"Exactly, and from there we will give you another task."

 

"It's harder than it looks." Shizuka commented as she tried narrowing her focus on her father's signature.

 

"Think about when you are fighting, during any fight with your team you would be feeling much more intense signatures," Tonbo replied as he drew his senses back and focused on Shizuka. "But you don't feel overwhelmed despite your sensitivity. It's likely that you focus on your opponent, while only having your teammates in the back of your mind."

 

"Which means you are already able to do this unconsciously, now we are training to do it consciously." Aoba concluded as he observed Shizuka carefully, taking note that a faint sheen of sweat was already gathering on her brow.

 

For the rest of the day, the older shinobi gave her 'targets' and small tasks to complete with each one. Once they were done, Aoba recommended her to practice in her own time and that the next time they met they would give her harder tasks before moving on to fighting scenarios.

 

* * *

 

After a quick lunch at a dumpling restaurant, Shizuka went towards the research facilities to meet up with Anko to discuss new projects.

 

"Hi, Anko-Senpai!" Shizuka grinned as she walked into the lab room the purple haired woman had commandeered. "What's the plan for today?"

 

"We need to test out the recipe from last week. And I got the last ingredients we needed for stabilising the first project we teamed up for." Anko grinned as she gestured to the vials of a dark purple liquid resting on the counter.

 

"Wonderful! I brought my notes for that one and was calculating the dosage we needed for the extract." Shizuka pulled out a scroll from her pouch and opened it on the counter next to a microscope.

 

Once Shizuka walked Anko through all the calculations she had gone through and what she thought would happen with each dosage they started preparing the mixtures.

 

"Let's start with the most concentrated we can expect it to be unstable and slowly decrease it." Shizuka suggested as she pulled out test tubes with the base substance they had already perfected. "That way we know the minimum amount we need to get any reaction as well as the range of effects."

 

"Perfect! In between our observations, we can test the poison recipe from last week." Anko clapped her hands as she moved to get the equipment they would need. "How many sample slides will we need for the microscope?"

 

"A dozen? Who knows what will happen to them when we put the samples on them."

 

With all the ingredients separated the duo started with their experiments, methodically adding catalysts to the base liquid and sampling them onto the microscope slides. Every couple of minutes they would check on the sample but in between checkpoints they started on the poison they had decided to create.

 

For several hours the duo experimented with different combinations and took notes on different reactions. After each trial they would discuss whether it matched predictions and documented their findings. And once they had finished with the poison, they had to wait for it to boil for a few minutes before they could test it out.

 

"So Kotetsu caught Izumo asking the girl they both liked out? What did he do?" Shizuka giggled as Anko told her of the latest gossip as they worked on their notes.

 

"Nothing at the time! He did show up during the date and the three of them had dinner." Anko snorted as she finished writing, sliding the paper so that Shizuka could compare their notes.

 

Shizuka laughed as she leaned back in her chair, turning to the side so that she faced Anko properly. She was just about to ask for more information when the sound of someone clearing their throat caused the two to turn towards the door to see the Jōnin Commander inside the lab with his eyebrows raised.

 

"Anko, Shizuka, good evening." Shikaku walked towards them and looked over his daughter's shoulder to see the notes sprawled over the desk, then moving from the bubbling mixture to the steaming sample under the microscope and back to Shizuka. "Do I even want to know?"

 

"Don't come too close because it reacts to chakra?" Shizuka grinned before her eyes widened when she noticed the steaming sample. She leapt up removing the sample from the microscope and tossing it into a decontamination tank. "Three… Two… one…."

 

Shizuka flinched as she heard the glass shatter before she opened the tap to wash out the liquid.

 

"Anko-Senpai, I think it's still too unstable…"

 

Anko looked from her 'student' to the Jōnin commander who had a thoroughly unimpressed look.

 

"Well! I'm sure we'll get it next time!" Anko grinned as she wrote down the reaction. "Any smells? How long did it take for the glass to crack? How-"

 

"Ah, Anko-san, I believe my daughter and I need to go, we are already late for dinner." Shikaku crossed his arms as he looked at his daughter, "Your mother was clear that she wanted you to be on time today."

 

"Bye, Anko-Senpai!" Shizuka called as she followed her father out the door and towards the Nara compound.

 

* * *

 

"Good morning, Itachi-Senpai!" Shizuka called as she walked into the clearing they usually trained in.

 

"Morning." Itachi looked over his shoulder from where he stood to collect some kunai from one of the targets that were around the clearing.

 

Shizuka blinked slowly but made no comment on his reaction as she moved to the large rock to the side and started some stretches while Itachi finished up.

 

"Should we do just taijutsu first or my tantōs against your katana?" Shizuka glanced at the Uchiha heir from the corner of her eye.

 

"Blades and weapons only, we'll add ninjutsu in slowly. You need to get the timing with your shadows better." Itachi moved to the other side of the roc where he retrieved his katana. "Ready?"

 

As soon as Shizuka nodded, Itachi dashed forward swinging his katana towards her weaker side.

 

' _First move? He never starts.'_ Shizuka switched to a defensive stance just in time to block the incoming attack. For nearly half an hour the Uchiha swung hard and fast, weaving between different sequences and didn't comment or make suggestions when he landed any scratches on her and he didn't even dodge a shadow tendril from her blade.

 

' _He's almost going all out. I can barely keep up.'_ Shizuka grunted as the boy landed a kick to her side while keeping her blades locked with his.  _'I won't be able to keep this up for much longer.'_

 

Shizuka jumped back to try to gain some space but Itachi pursued, his Sharingan spinning and focused on her form. The spar continued with no words being exchanged, Shizuka received several blows and a couple scratches, but nothing serious.

 

' _While its normal for me to get a couple bruises, he's not holding back as much today.'_ Shizuka somersaulted backwards as she lost one of her tantō, pulling out a kunai instead.  _'What's going on in that head of his?'_

 

The spar continued for a few more minutes before Itachi took advantage of an opening and landed a kick to her stomach that sent her flying to the floor.

 

"Yield." Shizuka groaned as she rolled onto her knees. Panting she looked up at her sparring partner as he stood a few feet away looking rather intently at the katana in his hand.

 

"It seems like it was I that had my mind distracted today." Itachi put the katana back into its sheath and leaned on the rock from before.

 

"No worries. It's good to see how much I still have to improve." Shizuka shrugged as she moved to lean next to him. "Something on your mind?"

 

"Nothing of your concern." Itachi sighed once the words left his mouth and paused for a few moments before continuing, "Missions have been taxing recently, but it shouldn't be an issue for much longer."

 

Shizuka stayed silent, she knew he had been busy recently. Ever since Shisui died, nearly six months before, Itachi had all but disappeared from the village. He was constantly being sent on missions and when he was in the village he never had time to train.

 

"I should probably return, my father had asked to see me." Itachi sighed as he pushed himself off the rock and turned to the Nara looking over her form once more. "You need to cover the back of your right shoulder more and your timing on catching shadows from my blade is still off, try observing how the shadows act with different blades."

 

Shizuka nodded in acceptance of his advice and watched as he moved towards the path that would lead him to the Uchiha compound. Before he disappeared into the trees he glanced over his shoulder at Shizuka who was still observing him from her place against the rock.

 

"Thank you for the spar, I'll be in contact."

 

* * *

 

After a shower, she went to the Intelligence Division to check if any of the cases she was working on had any updates. She was greeted by the receptionist who told her to go straight to Inoichi's office for a brief meeting.

 

Her body was on autopilot while she still picked at Itachi's  _' "It shouldn't be an issue for much longer' I wonder what he means. Maybe he's pulling back from ANBU?'_ Shizuka mindlessly nodded towards whoever passed her in the hallways as she continued her mental monologue.

 

' _How old was he when he joined anyways? Shame I can't ask anyone as I'm technically not supposed to know.'_ She mentally rolled her eyes, it's not like it wasn't hard to figure out where a genius like Itachi would fit into the Konoha forces.

 

"Ah, Shizuka-chan, you're here. Please have a seat," Inoichi gestured towards the seat in front of his desk. "We've received quite a few odd reports from different CIs and teams, they seem to be linked in different manners. Close locations, same description of people, items disappearing from one place and appearing somewhere else."

 

Inoichi shuffled through some papers on his desk and put them into some folders before handing them to Shizuka, who started flicking through said reports.

 

"I know you are already involved in several task forces, but I was wondering if you could have a look into these and see if we missed anything. I can get you access to more information, but you might want to start with those."

 

"I have time. Though I have to ask, why me?" Shizuka glanced over sketches of suspected shinobi and possible links to Bingo books.

 

"Your mind maps caught some attention, you've earned quite the reputation around here. Team leaders have been charmed by your work ethic. Your father is irritated thinking that I'll have you replace me as head of Intel before he suggests you to replace him." Inoichi snickered as Shizuka's eyebrow rose before she huffed and looked back to the folders.

 

"Not even a Jōnin yet." She grumbled as she shut the folders "Alright, I'll have a look at these now. I'll probably use the rest of the afternoon for these, so I might stop by in the morning with a list of requests."

 

"Not a problem, I'll also let the others on the task force that you'll make a little map for us." Inoichi leaned back in his chair and tilted his head, "Have you ever thought of getting some CIs for yourself?"

 

"I have, but I haven't ever met anyone who would be a worthy confidential informant. But it is definitely something I'll keep in mind." Shizuka shrugged.

 

"In any case, you have a lot of time." Inoichi stood and Shizuka did the same the two moving to the door. "Good luck with the map, you might want to use the wall that is completely empty, I'm pretty sure it will be a large one."

 

"Hai, thank you, Inoichi-Oji. See you later." Shizuka smiled at the man as she walked towards her 'office'.

 

Shizuka flicked through the documents as she walked down the stairs and around the staircase to the right corridor. She only looked up as the sound of a cane sounded in her direction.

 

Looking up she was met with the sight of Shimura Danzō walking towards the staircase she had just descended.

 

Stepping to the side to clear the way and offering the elder a swift bow she continued on her way only to be called back.

 

"You are Nara Shizuka, Nara Shikaku's eldest daughter, correct?"

 

"Hai, Danzō-sama." Shizuka bowed her head again as she faced the elder, mentally taking note of the ANBU guard hidden along the corridor.

 

"I've heard you have made a name for yourself in the sensory squad, such talent is rare at a young age." Danzō's voice was almost quiet but firm, he knew the power he held and expected people to listen. "Your skill set would be very well suited for ANBU, say, have you ever considered joining?"

 

"Its crossed my mind, but never made any concrete plans."

 

She could tell he expected her to elaborate, but before he could reply, she felt the familiar sensation of her father's approaching signature.

 

"Danzō-sama, I did not expect to see you at Intel today." Her father's deep voice sounded from behind her.

 

"Just checking in on some task forces." The elder looked from the clan head to his daughter once before nodding once and turning back to the staircase, the sound of his steps and the cane echoing through the hall.

 

"Tō-san, perfect timing." Shizuka looked up at her father with raised eyebrows before she continued to her mind map room, her father walking right behind her.

 

"What did he ask you?" Her father asked once he sat down in her chair at the little desk in the room with the door closed behind them.

 

"Whether I had plans of joining ANBU." Shizuka shrugged as she moved to the centre of the room and started laying out the files Inoichi had given her. "Gave the vague answer of thought of it but never made plans."

 

"Beware what you say to that man, he would hold it over your head." Shikaku sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "How was training?"

 

"Intense, Itachi really didn't hold back." Shizuka huffed as she absentmindedly rubbed at a bruise on her shoulder. "I don't suppose that would get me out of training tonight?"

 

The deadpan look her father sent her said it all. Shizuka would have continued the conversation but the feeling of someone approaching the room caused her to turn towards the door instead.

 

"Come in!" Shizuka called before the person could knock, grinning as she noted Kotetsu on the other side.

 

"Tiny! Hokage-sama has a mission us." Kotetsu glanced around the room and stood up straighter when he noticed the Jōnin commander sitting at the desk, "Shikaku-san, sorry to interrupt."

 

"Who else is coming with us?" Shizuka questioned as she put all the documents into the folder and into the locked drawer at her desk.

 

"Izumo and Yamanaka Emiko." Kotetsu replied as he held the door open for her to exit.

 

"Alright. Tō-san, I probably won't see you before I leave." Standing on her toes she kissed her father's cheek. "Seems like I will escape that training session after all."

 

"I'll be sure to make the next one longer to compensate." Her father huffed in amusement as she wrinkled her nose. "Take care and good luck."

 

With a nod to the younger shinobi, Shikaku made his way to his teammate's office. The two Chūnin didn't stay in the building for long, animatedly chatting as they made their way to the nearby Hokage's building to meet their teammates for a briefing.


	24. Curiosity

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

 

The initial mission of clearing out a bandit group had been rather simple. The bandits had been incredibly unorganised and although they had some decently trained members the ambush threw them all into a panic.

 

The mission had been predicted to last a little over a week but was over in only a few days. When the team stopped at a small village on the way home and heard rumours of a group of rogue-nin stealing from passing merchants they sent notice to the Hokage who allowed them to investigate.

 

With new orders, the team went straight to gathering information. They had entered the village as shinobi so they didn't bother covering the fact up, but they had to work fast before the group could hear of their investigation.

 

Their new objective proved to be more complicated as there were definitely a couple Chūnin ranked rogues from Grass involved in the group. Luckily the rogues didn't have much talent in their ranks. Just five Chūnin with a couple other mercenaries. They were more organised which is what made the entire operation a little harder.

 

But alas, the Konoha Chūnin team proved to work well together once again. The Nara and Yamanaka took care of the guards opening the way to the older and more experienced Chūnin who quickly eliminated the mercenaries and one of the rogue Chūnin.

 

That was when they were noticed by the other shinobi in the base.

 

After the battle had just started Shizuka and Emiko ended up trading opponents. Emiko's original opponent was proficient at close range combat while Shizuka's opponent was a fire user who seemed rather focused on burning her to a crisp.

 

It didn't take long for the fight to move into the forest outside of the small warehouse the group had used as a base.

 

"Tiny, a gift for you." Izumo called as he kicked his opponent who was wrapped in ninja wire into her range.

 

Shizuka glanced over and flew through the handsigns for the shadow stitching, quickly sending tendrils through a couple vital points of the enemy before releasing his limp form and jumping over her opponents strike with a naginata blade.

 

"Care to help me with this one?" Shizuka slid to a stop next to the older Chūnin her eyes pausing on Emiko's rapidly weakening opponent and Kotetsu already pressing his advantage on his injured opponent.

 

Izumo grinned as he unsealed a naginata from a scroll.

 

"Gladly." With that, he dashed forwards trying to push his opponent to leave an opening for her to attack with her shorter blades.

 

From there it was a matter of minutes before Izumo locked their blades downwards, allowing Shizuka to dash around Izumo and slit their opponent's throat with a clean swipe.

 

"Well, that was an interesting detour." Kotetsu joked as he and Emiko approached once confirming their opponents were dead. "Any other improvised missions on the agenda?"

 

"Just a cleanup. Let's raid the warehouse, then home." Izumo sighed, glancing around the clearing he gestured around them. "Kotetsu and Emiko check the bodies and get rid of evidence, Shizuka and I will check the base."

 

In the end, their one week mission ended up being a three-week double mission.

 

For the returning Chūnin it had gone by incredibly fast, but for the people in Konoha, it had been a very long three weeks.

 

That is why the news they got upon their arrival was so shocking.

 

"Uchiha Itachi has killed the entirety of the Uchiha clan, leaving his younger brother as the sole survivor. He is now a rogue ninja of the hidden leaf. A detailed protocol of encounter will be issued within the next few days." The Sandaime reported to them once they had finished their debrief. His tone was grave and his face stern, he seemed to have aged years in the few weeks they had been away.

 

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The team bowed and left the office. Shizuka waved to them as she moved towards her father's office.

 

She didn't even have to knock, as Inoichi opened the door just as she moved to do so.

 

"Shizuka-chan, welcome back." Inoichi stepped aside letting her walk into the office.

 

"Tō-san, Inoichi-Oji, it seems like a lot has gone on since I left." Shizuka sat down across from her father as Inoichi did the same. "When? How is Sasuke? What do you know? What-"

 

"A week ago." Shikaku interrupted his daughter with a raised hand, he sighed before continuing. "Sasuke was unconscious for a couple days, he woke up the day before last. He said Itachi did it to test his powers. He left the village immediately after and knocked out the ANBU sent after him."

 

"The rest is classified." Inoichi completed and before Shizuka could comment he shook his head at her. "There isn't much more we know, nothing in his file that points to this type of behaviour. He has always been the quiet type, not many connections…"

 

"I don't know anything." Shizuka shook her head at the implication. "During spars he gave advice and helped when I asked, I taught him how to throw a sensor off."

 

"That explains how he threw the tracking squad off..." Inoichi sighed while her father simply stared at her.

 

"He was a friend, how was I supposed to know he'd use it to escape the sensors. Besides, he's smart and talented enough to have been able to improve his cloaking alone, I just gave him a shortcut."

 

"The last training you had with him, before your mission, you said he didn't hold back. Was he acting oddly? Maybe he said something out of character?"

 

Shizuka sighed and thought back to the last time she had seen the Uchiha. He had indeed been acting oddly, tense, not holding back, no comments on her form.  _'What did he say then? 'Missions have been taxing recently, but it shouldn't be an issue for much longer.' '_

 

"He said missions were taxing but that it wouldn't be an issue for long. I assumed he would leave ANBU or something never something this drastic."

 

Her father and Inoichi leaned back into their seats she didn't have to look up from her clasped hands to know they had shared a look and were expecting her to continue.

 

' _Thank you for the spar, I'll be in contact.'_

 

"I could barely keep up that day, but he's made it harder for me before, so that wasn't too different. He did seem distracted, but I just took it as stress from missions."

 

"Alright." Shikaku sighed after a few moments and stood from his chair, walking around his desk to ruffle his daughter's hair. "We should head home, the Yamanaka-Nara-Akimichi barbeque is tonight and I'm sure you want to rest before that."

 

"I have one last meeting today, but I'll call it an early day too. I'll see you both later." Inoichi shook her father's hand and left towards the Intelligence building just down the street.

 

"Let me collect some papers so that I can work from home." The Nara clan head gave his daughter's head one more pat before he moved to collect some documents from his desk.

 

Shizuka took the moment to look out the window, watching the villagers walk through the streets as if nothing major had happened just a week before.

 

' _Itachi… Why?'_

 

"Ready?" Shizuka turned to her father as he held the door open for her to pass through.

 

"Hai."

 

* * *

 

Shizuka was chatting with Emiko's younger brother and her during the barbeque when she noticed a light in her uncle's bedroom flicker on. Searching the crowd she spotted her mother and father also glance in the direction before returning to their conversations.

 

It was only after an hour that her uncle graced their backyard, his customary slouch in place as he greeted the people, moving straight to his brother and a couple of their cousins.

 

"Excuse me a moment. Just going to say hi to my uncle before he manages to escape to go to sleep." Shizuka smiled at the Yamanaka siblings and moved in the direction of her uncle, falling into step with her mother who was also heading in that direction.

 

"Daichi-Oji, welcome home!" Shizuka greeted the man with a quick kiss on the cheek and smiled at the older Nara around her.

 

"Yes, Daichi, welcome home." Yoshino narrowed her eyes at the man and he rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish expression.

 

"Sorry for the delay?"

 

"Not a single word. For nearly two months!" Yoshino huffed causing the others to laugh before excusing themselves to mingle with the rest of the guests.

 

"I said I'd be delayed! And I sent a letter three weeks ago!"

 

"' _I'm alive but a bit delayed. Here's some info.'_ Does NOT count as a letter. It's barely a note."

 

Shikaku and Shizuka simply stared back and forth between the two, both of them holding in their snickers.

 

"You never were one for long reports, Daichi." A familiar voice sounded from behind them.

 

"Kouta-sensei! I thought you couldn't make it today." Shizuka grinned at her sensei as he approached them. "Kaito and Masaru are still on their mission then?"

 

"Hai, they left just a couple days ago and aren't due back for at least another week." Kouta let a small smile grace his lips as he noticed Shizuka's more casual outfit, to which his former student shrugged when she noticed his glance.

 

"It's been a while since I let Ka-san play dress up." Shizuka snickered as her mother gave the back of her head a small slap, glancing around she noticed her brother talking to one her father's distant cousins. "Looks like Shika needs rescuing from Makiko-Oba-San."

 

Dodging under another slap and a caution warning from her mother she slipped away from the group towards her little brother, who sent her a relieved smile as she approached.

 

"Good evening, Makiko-Oba-San." Shizuka smiled at her aunt.

 

"Shizuka! Oh, how you've grown! I barely see you in the compound anymore." Makiko wasn't a Nara by birth but had married one of Shikaku's cousins. She didn't stick out too much with her honey blond hair and dark eyes, but she was still a civilian and most of their interactions seemed as if there was a veil separating their very different worlds.

 

"Hai, I've been busy with… my job." Shizuka glanced at her younger brother who seemed ready to move away from their fussy aunt. "You wouldn't mind if I stole Shika away, would you? I wanted to introduce him properly to some friends before they went home."

 

"Oh, of course, dear. I do miss the time you were little and I would watch over you when your parents were busy. It seems like you barely have time for your dear aunt." Makiko reached over and pinched their cheeks before waving them off wishing them a good evening.

 

"How did Benjiro-Oji end up with her anyway?" Shikamaru kicked his feet into the ground as they walked slowly across the yard.

 

"Met during a mission of his. I remember sitting through her retelling of it." Shizuka scrunches her nose demonstrating just how much she enjoyed that tale. "Be glad mother and father spared you because she had just had her own son just before you were born, so they 'didn't want to bother'."

 

"I assumed you complained?"

 

"I couldn't let my otouto suffer the evils of civilian embellished shinobi tales with our Oba-san." Shizuka snickered as she nudged her brother playfully before she looked up and grinned at the Yamanaka siblings again.

 

"Shika, here's my equivalent of Ino, Emiko and her little brother who likely could have been my equivalent of Ino, Reiji." Shizuka teased as the Yamanaka siblings shook their heads.

 

While Shikamaru knew Emiko by name, they hadn't ever talked before and he didn't even know she had a brother. Although Shizuka claimed Emiko as her Ino equivalent he really couldn't identify similarities other than they had the same eyes and blond hair, although Emiko's hair was a slightly darker shade of blond.

 

The group was soon joined by Ino herself and Chōji who had been walking around greeting other people since that was pretty much the objective of the event: bonding with allied clans and networking.

 

The group continued chatting for a while before dispersing again for a final round of greeting and chatting so that they could claim the event purpose fulfilled and retire to their own homes.

 

* * *

 

Later in the evening, as the guests started to leave, Shikaku was standing towards the path leading around his house and towards the exit of the compound when Kouta approached him.

 

"Kouta, thank you for coming."

 

"Thank you for having me." Kouta glanced around before looking back at the clan head. "I must admit that the food and company weren't the only reasons I came."

 

Shikaku straitened up slightly and nodded towards the porch of his house where they could talk with less fear of being overheard by the people leaving.

 

"A former ANBU comrade has recently been named a captain is looking for a rookie for his team, he asked about Shizuka."

 

"Already? She's not even fourteen yet." Shikaku shook his head, his eyes scanning the yard before flickering towards Shizuka's bedroom window and then his brother's window. "She hasn't ruled it out, but nothing planned."

 

"You've talked about this before," Kouta stated observing the man. "I have spoken to her too, very early on though and she said the same you just did."

 

"We talked about it just before her last mission just after she had a run in with Danzō." His tone was carefully neutral but Kouta could tell he wasn't pleased with the interest in his daughter's career. "And now, after Itachi? It wouldn't be an easy transfer."

 

"In any case, I said she wouldn't be interested. But he won't be the last person to inquire about her." Kouta sighed as he leaned against the wall of the house. "She has quite the list of trainers, most associated with ANBU on their own, wouldn't be hard to assume she has a solid foundation for her to complete their training."

 

"She said she wanted to make Jōnin or at least Tokujo before joining, so that's at least a couple more years until she considers joining." Shikaku let the  _'if she considers at all'_ go unsaid.

 

"Kaito has also expressed interest in joining but he is a bit behind Shizuka, especially in the tracking department and so I'll offer her the opportunity to join in the training." Kouta pushed off the wall and shook hands with the other man. "Thank you again, I'll keep you informed if anyone else contacts me."

 

"That would be appreciated, thank you. Have a good night." Shikaku watched the man disappear around the corner with the last few guests before entering his house and heading straight to bed.

 

Shizuka rose bright and early the next morning and moved about her bedroom to get changed into comfy training clothes before going downstairs.

 

"Good morning, Tō-san, Oji-san." Kissing each man on the cheek she grabbed an apple from the fruit basket on the table and sitting next to her uncle.

 

"You going somewhere this morning?" Her father asked as he noted her she wasn't wearing her usual 'day-off' clothes.

 

"I wanted to do some light running this morning, maybe some meditation later." Shizuka grinned as she heard the sounds of complaining from the backyard. "Is Shika doing a new stretching routine?"

 

"Hai, your mother has decided he should learn her complete version." Daichi glanced up from his mission report to smirk at his niece. "Speaking of training I have new Wind jutsus for you, how about some training this week?"

 

"Always have time for training with you, Oji-san. How long are you staying for?"

 

"Don't forget clan jutsu training with me. I do recall you skipping on the last session to go on a mission, which you extended." Shikaku narrowed his eyes at his daughter who slouched in her seat. "Shizuka, you're the one that decided to get creative with the family jutsu, I will not do the work for you."

 

"Are we still doing theory? Or can we do something practical?"

 

"For your experimentation still theory, but I can teach you another existing one that will suit your style." Shikaku watched as her expression changed from unenthusiastic back to a smile.

 

"Thank you. In that case, Oji-san how about you show me one Wind jutsu and keep the rest for later?" Her uncle nodded in agreement and she gave them a smile before standing from her position to go to the backyard. "Ka-san, Shika have a good day! I'll see you for dinner! Tō-san, Oji-san see you later."

 

Shizuka started a light jog down the path out of the compound. Letting her feet guide her around the village she ran past a couple shinobi returning from their night shifts and greeted the ones she recognised with smiles and 'good mornings'.

 

As she normally did, she finished her run at the training grounds team four used to meet up at and from there she did some stretches and ran through some katas before calling a break.

 

On the way back home she took the familiar shortcut through a wooded area and quickly came to the clearing she used to practice with Itachi.

 

' _Now, he said he'd be in contact, but unless he tracks me down outside of the village that would be hard to do. And even then I'd likely have a team with me.'_ Walking around the clearing she expanded her senses to look for anything that might be out of the ordinary.

 

Sure enough, inside one of the tree trunks that had previously had a target attached to it, she found a small folded note.

 

' _Coded too, damn Itachi.'_

 

Sitting on the floor with her back to the boulder Shizuka started working on breaking the code. While it was harder than what she expected she didn't mind it too much, at this point she just wanted to know what it said.

 

' _Dark Traveller,_

_I know you won't take their words for truth, but I must ask that you let it go. Nothing good would ever come of you looking into this._

_Remember curiosity killed the cat._

_Keep an eye on our little helper.'_

 

Shizuka read the note again and tore it to minuscule shreds with a wind jutsu and let them scatter in the wind. Letting out a sigh she let her head fall back against the rock.

 

' _Something is up, but I'll respect your wishes.'_

 

She didn't even have much to go on other than he had been busy and tense. Maybe it was about a mission, maybe it was a conflict of interest. Uchiha's didn't often join ANBU, they normally were folded into the police department.

 

Shaking her head she stopped her train of thought. Itachi had clearly said not to look into it. She wasn't too sure about the curiosity killed the cat part either. Sure it was a proverb she often heard from her parents and teammates, usually when she had that  _look_  as they said where they could tell she was already thinking of something new to try.

 

The fact that he included it could either mean looking into it could get her killed or it could be a threat. Somehow the latter just didn't seem plausible. While the Uchiha heir had always been hard to read she was fairly certain he had no ill will against her.

 

' _Not to mention he seems to trust me enough to keep an eye on Sasuke. He is more likely to have threatened me for that than looking into his actions.'_

 

Sinking into her usual thinking pose she continued to mull over what she knew. Even if she let the subject drop after today she at least wanted to leave the little information in a reasonably organised manner.

 

' _No names, so clearly meant to be kept a secret. No investigation or risk getting killed. Keep an eye on his little brother. And… That's it.'_

 

Shizuka let out a frustrated sigh. She knew Itachi wouldn't accidentally reveal anything he didn't want to so she'd have to live with whatever burning questions she had.

 

' _Itachi, if we ever meet again, remember you owe me one.'_


	25. Time Flies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\
> 
> Hey!
> 
> Again very sorry for the long jump, but nothing too interesting happens in those two years. Once again the first few chapters will summarise what happened during the time period and any specific moment that is relevant will show up as a flashback.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think and any questions you have and I'll happily answer.
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

"Can you believe it's been two years since we were at our own promotion party?" Masaru laughed as he threw his arms around Shizuka's and Kaito's shoulders as they walked towards the bar where the party was being held.

 

"Two years for you, Masa, six months more for us." Shizuka sighed as she allowed herself to be dragged into her tallest teammate's side.

 

"Details. How's active duty been treating you, Zuka?" Masaru ruffled her hair and allowed her to pull herself out of his side hug.

 

"The year of light duties I took so that I could train paid off." Shizuka put her hands in her pockets. "But it's nice to be home too."

 

As soon as they entered the bar Kaito and Masaru moved to greet some Chūnin near the bar while she was left to look around the room.

 

There were a good number of Chūnin she didn't recognise.

 

After the Uchiha Massacre Shizuka took on a much lighter schedule of missions and instead dedicated herself to the task force Inoichi had put her in. She had ended up only having missions related to the task force and this caused her to spend most of her time in the village.

 

To fill in the time she wasn't working at Intelligence she trained with her father or was left to her own devices. Once a week she would join Kouta and Kaito on his specialised training or she would train alone with Kouta when Kaito was away. When both were away and she had the time she would try to track down Kakashi and pester him for a new lightning jutsu. The Jōnin would demonstrate as many times as she asked and disappear after observing for a few minutes.

 

After a little over a year of light duties and heavy training, Shizuka was recommended by Aoba and Kouta for a Tokubetsu Jōnin promotion, but she had by then fallen behind on the required mission count. This led her to take on a nearly consecutive streak of missions for the last several months, which meant she was barely home.

 

Shuffling to the side to allow more Chūnin to enter the bar she smiled in greeting and returned to scanning the crowd. Easily spotting the guests of honour she moved towards them.

 

"Reiji-kun, congratulations on your promotion." Shizuka approached the group of recently promoted Chūnin and shook hands with the Yamanaka. "Hope we get the chance to work together sometime."

 

"Shizuka-chan! Thank you for coming! I hope we do too." The blond smiled and the two moved to sit in one of the booths that had been booked for the party. "You could have told me about the challenge though."

 

"I wouldn't dare interfere with tradition." Shizuka snorted as she eyes the people around them. "Have you been introduced to any of the Chūnin yet?"

 

"Hai, Emiko introduced me to a couple, but there are some Tokujō and Jōnin that I haven't met."

 

"I'll introduce you sometime, but I can't see any of my friends here so it'll have to wait."

 

"How have you been? I haven't seen you since your fifteenth birthday party two months ago and you missed the last barbeque."

 

"Hai, I was on a long mission for the last few weeks." Shizuka shrugged. "I was nominated by Aoba-Senpai, the head of the sensory squad, for a Tokubetsu Jōnin promotion, but I needed to increase my mission count."

 

"Tokujō! So sensory and tracking speciality?"

 

"Sensory and infiltration, but tracking isn't too far off either. It should be made official in a month or so." Shizuka grinned. "You'll have more catching up to do."

 

"I like a challenge."

 

The two laughed and were soon joined by other of the recently promoted Chūnin who asked her about the different divisions and advice for the coming months.

 

* * *

 

Just a week later Shizuka was called for an infiltration mission and possible assassination with her uncle as the only other person on the team.

 

' _This isn't suspicious at all.'_ Shizuka rolled her eyes as she ran ahead of her uncle, her senses spread for any signs of life.

 

Deciding to keep her comments to herself, for now, she waited until they set up camp the first night to bring up her thoughts on the situation.

 

"So, Kouta-Sensei finally gave in to the requests?" Shizuka glanced across the little fire where their dinner was roasting at her uncle who looked up sharply from his book. "What, why else send me on an assassination mission with a Jōnin and former ANBU as my only support just before my promotion to Tokujō?"

 

"I told them you'd figure it out." Daichi sighed as he put his book away and shifted his position so that his elbows rested on his knees and his chin rested on his clasped hands. "Reducing your mission intake took their focus away, but now that you're back they have been more insistent in testing you."

 

"And they let you be the one to test me? Isn't there a conflict?"

 

"I've technically left ANBU. But I still have contact with some people there and will occasionally do some scouting." Daichi paused to observe his niece. "You know they don't say when they will test you. You've been on their watch list for a while."

 

"So I've been told." Shizuka shook her head. "I'm not ready, even if I pass I don't want to join just yet."

 

"I know. Kouta and I have made that part clear to them. When, and  _if_ , you want to join all you have to do is ask and we'll get you into their training program, from what I hear you won't have an issue there."

 

"Kouta-Sensei has been preparing us, Masaru isn't interested in ANBU, but he joins occasionally at least for the training."

 

"Kaito still has a few ways to go, but he's on the watch list too. You have quite the head start though on him though."

 

Shizuka tilted her head as she contemplated that information. She knew it had a lot to do with who she trained with, but also due to her skills in infiltration and sensing.

 

She was well versed in the pros and cons of joining, having gone through them with her father and her sensei several times over the years. She was pretty set on her decision to join in the possible if a bit distant, future. Her uncle seemed to realise she wouldn't add anything to the topic and seemed to relax his posture.

 

"Get some rest, I'll take first watch." With a mumbled goodnight Shizuka made herself comfortable and fell into a light doze.

 

* * *

 

The mission went smoothly. They had been hired to assassinate a merchant with several ties to a corrupt politician to send a message to his associates that they were on to his trail.

 

It wasn't her first assassination mission, but it was the first one she was in charge and fully expected to take action herself. When the time came, she slid into the target's office and completed the mission without any hitches.

 

Obviously, something had to happen.

 

On the way back to the village, Shizuka identified four high ranking shinobi lying within her range in their way to get back into the ire country. They tried circling around but they would risk falling into a trap, so they pushed ahead to meet their opponents head-on.

 

The Nara's didn't even share their surprise to see Iwa ninja instead of Grass. Though Shizuka couldn't help but let a small smile slip through at her uncle's amused snicker.

 

Pulling out her tantōs, she didn't need to say much to her uncle before he connected his shadow to hers as she sprinted full speed ahead. While faking a slash, she waited until last minute to dance around the woman's attempt at parrying her blade and instead moved on to the man next to her. She felt the moment her uncle's shadow disconnected from her and launched into the first woman's throat.

 

"Nara! Watch the shadows!" The man furthest from Shizuka called as he launched to the side, his hands flying through handsigns.

 

Their fast attack had made the situation slightly more even, three enemies for the two of them. The man she had targeted wasn't too tall, but he was much bulkier and Shizuka could tell he had average chakra reserves at best. Her uncle was already engaged with the other two ninjas, the man who yelled earlier who was an earth ninjutsu user and a fire user.

 

Using her speed and agility to continuously move around her opponent's strikes she moved under his arm and slid a blade between his ribs and with a twist the other blade went into his neck. Pulling both blades out she pushed him forward and turned towards the other battle going on.

 

Her uncle was handling himself just fine against the last two opponents, but now she was free to help.

 

The only issue in this situation was that neither her or her uncle were necessarily the best to fight against a fire user. Both of them had wind as their primary nature which was weak against fire. On the other hand, Shizuka had lightning which was strong against Earth, and she was sure her uncle could find a way around the chakra nature disadvantage issue.

 

The decision was taken from her hands as her uncle caught the fire user with a strong gust of wind towards the trees, and hence towards where she stood.

 

Not one to waste an opportunity, Shizuka launched her shadow to pierce the man's heart and lung.

 

As the now dead ninjutsu user fell to the ground, his last standing comrade, the Earth user, stood between Shizuka and her uncle. Sending a pointed look at her uncle, Shizuka launched forward towards the last enemy nin, her shadows already stretching to full range of seven metres.

 

The woman started on the handsigns for an Earth wave, probably to stop the young Nara's momentum and give her time to retreat, or better, escape. Shizuka counted the seconds between the waves of Earth that were meant to throw her off balance and continues forward, her opponent continuing their retreat.

 

The woman had become too preoccupied with keeping Shizuka's shadows away and thus had forgotten Daichi, who had jumped into the trees and sent his shadow around to capture the woman from behind.

 

" _ **Raiton Dan: Ibuki!"**_  Shizuka flew through the handsigns before releasing what looked like a little ball of lightning towards her captured opponent. ( _Lightning Release Bullet: Powerful Breath_ )

 

"That is new." Daich deadpanned as he released the jutsu and jumped to the electrocuted woman's side. "Kakashi-san taught you?"

 

"Hai! Well more like he showed me how to do three reasonably strong jutsus, gave a warning on safety, 'supervised' it for a few months and then said I'd be fine training on my own." Shizuka shrugged. "It took me a year to actually get it this consistent."

 

"Well, you never made it easy for yourself with the number of projects you took on." Daichi bent down to shuffle through the contents of the woman's pouches. "In any case, it's a nice trump card to pull out."

 

"Hai. Hey, did you notice the sparks in spreading out of the bullet?" Shizuka asked as she did the same on the other fallen shinobi, her uncle only answered with a hum, "Do you think it's possible to discharge lightning around you, like a little field to throw people out of your range?"

 

"Possibly, but I'm the wrong person to ask. Find Kakashi and ask him." Daichi stood with a few scrolls in his hands. "Why would you want that anyway? You have a close range style so you want your opponents inside that, and as a Nara, they will already be avoiding getting in too close."

 

"Well, more like a faster way of eliminating enemies and getting time to retreat if I need." Shizuka explained as she made a pile of weaponry and scrolls to seal separately from the body.

 

"You'd probably have to be careful., being in the middle of a charged field of lightning can't be easy."

 

"Yes, Tō-San has drilled the 'think and plan before experimenting' process into my mind. No more improvisation, I promise." Shizuka moved out of her uncle's way as he moved to seal the body into a scroll to return to the village.

 

"Good. Now let's go back home." Daichi put the scrolls away and launched into the trees with Shizuka right behind him.

 

* * *

 

"To the newest Tokubetsu Jōnin." Her family cheered as they clinked glasses the night after her return to the village.

 

"Can't believe you're ahead of us after a year barely taking missions." Masaru grouched from his position next to her in the large dining room in her house.

 

They rarely ate there as they almost never had more people than their usual table between the kitchen and living room. This time she had the adult and baby Ino-Shika-Chō as well as the latter's wives and her team.

 

"Well, we haven't specialised, so it's regular grinding until we get the required nominations," Kaito answered for her as she chewed on a dumpling her aunt had made for the dinner.

 

"You boys are on your way, you will catch up, maybe even get the Jōnin promotion before her." Kouta teased as he turned from his conversation with Daichi.

 

"Shika, what do you think?" Shizuka nudged her brother who was nearly falling asleep at her side. "Will I or the boys reach Jōnin first?"

 

"The boys, you'll get distracted at some point and they'll catch up."

 

"Oi! You're supposed to be on my side." She gave his shoulder a pinch, and Ino having caught the end of the conversation pinched his other shoulder.

 

"Don't worry Shizuka-Nee, I'm on your side!" Ino grinned and they high-fived over her brother's head.

 

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru slumped and then looked across the table at Chōji, "And you, will you also turn on me in favour of my sister?"

 

"Hai, Shizuka-Nee will beat them." Chōji smiled and his cheeks turned pink when Shizuka grinned back at him.

 

"I find it adorable that you have your own little cheer squad." Kaito snorted at the group. "Does this promotion cause anything to change in regard to team four?"

 

"Not really, I'm just listed as a specialised shinobi, so if they need a sensor or tracker my name will be 'highlighted' as in it's a good fit for my specific skills."

 

"If anything, she will be doing fewer rotations in some positions such as guarding the gates but will likely be given more patrols and scouting." Shikaku pitched in.

 

With that comment, the conversations drifted into other matters such as plans for a new training schedule, the academy and other trivial topics.

 

Once the guests had left Shizuka said goodnight to her parents and ruffled her brother's hair, promising him a shogi match the following day before heading to her room. With one last look at the scroll confirming her promotion, she fell into a deep sleep.


	26. Things Change

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

"Well done, everyone. We are off duty until called back, so take tomorrow off and we'll meet in the team's bunker at dawn the following day to hand in our written reports." Her team captain dismissed the other two team members before gesturing for her to follow him.

 

She followed silently behind him as they weaved through the hallways and up into the Hokage building. No sooner had they reached the door they were ushered inside.

 

"Report." The Hokage's stern voice called out once both kneeled in front of his desk.

 

"The mission went smoothly; the target has been eliminated and the court has no idea of Konoha's nor client's involvement." Shizuka glanced to her captain slightly as he reached for the scroll they retrieved from the target's office. "We also obtained these from the office, the information might prove useful."

 

Glancing up at the Hokage, she stood once the man gestured for them to do so, and her team leader handed over the scroll.

 

"And the new recruit?" The voice sounded from behind the Hokage's shoulder.

 

The ANBU commander's mask depicted a dog with pointed ears and a purple triangle on his forehead and each cheek. Even though simple, there was something about the white mask with the empty eyeholes and parted maw that made it an eerie sight.

 

' _Of all the masks I had to get the least threatening looking…'_ Shizuka mentally sulked while her eyes stared straight at the two shinobi before her.

 

"… performed admirably throughout the mission. I believe the rookie will prove to be invaluable in future missions."

 

"Then I believe all is set for officialising your status as a Konoha ANBU." The Hokage reached behind to Jackal to pass on a red and black scroll and signed the document before handing it to Cat-Taichō and finally extending the pen towards her.

 

Quickly signing her name and closing the scroll she returned it to Jackal who tipped his head in acknowledgement.

 

"Welcome to the force. Cat will inform you of everything you need to know."

 

"You are dismissed." The Hokage nodded at the other two ANBU before him who quickly disappeared in puffs of smoke.

 

They reappeared back into the rooms under the Hokage building.

 

"Come, I'll show you the team's bunker." Cat-Taichō called as he started walking down the tunnels. "We all have beds in the bunker to crash after missions or between shifts, there is an attached bathroom and is kept stocked with standard provisions."

 

As they turned the last corner the man gestured to a small and pretty bare kitchen. It had a stove that looked entirely unused, a fridge, a microwave and cupboards. It also had some stools around the island counter.

 

"The cupboards are always pretty empty with the exception of ration bars, feel free to stock up from there." Cat's voice was deep and monotonic, but not cold or uncaring.

 

"Here it is, in here feel free to remove your mask, it's not uncommon for your base team to know your identity." He explained as he followed her into the small bunk room. "Base teams usually have six members, but ours only has five now that you've joined."

 

Shizuka hummed as she unclipped the mask from her face and attached it to her belt, rubbing her gloved hand across her face as she yawned. She easily looked over the three bunk beds and quickly claimed the top bunk closes to the door once confirming none of the others had done so.

 

She glanced over her captain now that he had removed his mask. The man had pale skin, short light brown hair and dark eyes.

 

"While out of missions and in here you may call me Tenzō. I'm sure the other three will introduce themselves when we meet up, so I'll leave that to them. You already know which training ground we usually meet and times. You will receive your personal rotation then too. You'll have to do some time in all positions before getting slotted to one, I'd assume you'll be getting patrols due to your specialisation, but do expect guard duty at Intel, T&I and outposts."

 

"Hai, thank you, Tenzō-Taichō. You may call me Shizuka too." Shizuka sent the man a smile, "What about missions with other teams?"

 

"For now, you shouldn't be pushed into those, at least until you've done a rotation in all positions. But as a sensor that could change, and you might be called if no other sensors are available." Tenzō then pulled out a trunk from under the bed under hers. "This trunk is also yours, I recommend leaving something to sleep in, extra weapons, a mission pack, training clothes and regular clothes. It makes it easier when you have to leave last minute or go home in intact clothes."

 

"Ah, I have a couple things in a scroll that I can already leave here, thank you." Jumping down from the top bunk, Shizuka unsealed said items and started organising them into the trunk.

 

"I believe that is all so I will leave you to settle in. Welcome to the team. Have a good day." With a nod to her, he clipped his mask back into place and left the room.

 

Shizuka quickly finished putting one of the extra sets of clothes she carried in the trunk. With the other extra set in hand, she moved into the attached bathroom and got a folded towel from the sink.

 

As her body went through the motions of cleaning up, she reflected on what her entry to ANBU would now mean.

 

After a year as a Tokujō, she felt like joining ANBU would be a good step in her career. Her father, uncle and sensei agreed that she had a solid base of experience to draw on if she were to join, and after some more intensive training, she agreed to be tested.

 

After a month-long 'mission' she was given a mask and uniform and introduced to Cat-Taichō and his team: Ape, Stag and Bear. After two months of intensive training with them in the village, they were given an easy infiltration and assassination of a lord in a small nearby country as a final test. And now she gets to keep her mask and get the tattoo on her right shoulder.

 

After drying herself and tossing the used towel into the laundry basket in the corner she dressed in her usual clothes.

 

She left the zips of her grey skirt opened to mid-thigh revealing her black shorts underneath, she leaned down to strap a weapons pouch to her left leg and then attached a pouch to the back of her waist. For her top, she wore a mesh undershirt with a grey shirt with a green Nara symbol on her right shoulder.

 

Moving to the mirror she pulled her hair into its usual braid down her back and tied her headband across her forehead before heading back out and towards her trunk.

 

She unsealed her vest and in the same scroll sealed up her uniform.

 

' _I need to bring a set of sweatpants and a shirt to sleep, an extra pair of boots and a mission pack.'_ Glancing at her sole set of ANBU gear she sighed and added a trip to the equipment department to that list before she sealed up the dirty uniform to wash at home.

 

With an amused snort at her mask, she ran her finger across the small rounded ears and the brown lines leading from the outside of her eyes to her temples and the one line under each cheekbone that curled and stretched to end just below the other two.

 

" _No one will ever take me seriously with this, the boys would be hysterical if they found out."_

 

With everything in place, she pulled on the boots she had been wearing and her fingerless gloves. Finally, she attached the sheaths to her tantōs under the loose sleeves of her shirt.

 

'Now, where was the equipment department again?'

 

* * *

 

Once she finally left the dark hallways of the ANBU base she walked towards the Hokage tower in hopes of stealing her father's time for lunch. Taking two steps at a time, she quickly arrived at his office just as the door opened revealing her father and surrogate uncle.

 

"Tō-San, Inoichi-Oji-San!" Shizuka quickly gave her father a kiss on the cheek, and sent a smile at the Yamanaka, "Are you free for lunch, Tō-San? I just got back and I'm starving."

 

"I was just about to grab something quickly, but I can spare you some time." Shikaku smiled at his daughter, he hadn't seen her in almost two months, since she started training with her new team. "Dumping place?"

 

"Yes, please! Inoichi-Oji, will you be joining us?"

 

"Ah Sorry, Shizuka-Chan, I have a meeting to attend before I can go for lunch. But I do have a new task force for you, I'm just about to ask the Hokage for a preliminary report from the team sent out."

 

"Does it have anything to do with some interesting reports from politicians from the Southern borders?" Shizuka questioned her head tilting slightly to the side as she observed him carefully.

 

"Possibly, you'll just have to wait and find out." Inoichi shook his head, he wasn't exactly surprised she had been on the team that gathered the information. He knew from Shikaku's vague answers as to what she was up to recently that she was likely being tested for ANBU. "You don't happen to be signed up for any regular duties, do you?"

 

"Is that a way of implying I should spend my time in the village with a part-time rotation at Intel?" At her uncle's lips twitching into a smile, she shrugged, "No training outside of the new team so I suppose I might have some time for at least a part-time, I'll come in confirm tomorrow afternoon if you're free?"

 

"Perfect, I'll make some time to fill you in on the full task force as well. Hope you have space on the wall."

 

With a final wave at him, Shizuka linked her arm with her father's and all but dragged him to the dumpling restaurant.

 

"So, a successful mission?" Shikaku asked as he followed his daughter to her favourite dumpling place.

 

"Hai, my rotation should start sometime this week." She glanced up at her father with a teasing glint in her eyes, "Should I tell you my mask or do you want to figure it out on your own?"

 

"Not even a day in and already spilling your mask?"

 

"You'd probably tell it was me the moment you saw me, no point in delaying."

 

"Give me time, if you're doing your job right I might actually not  _see_ your mask anytime soon." Shikaku smirked at his daughter who just huffed and pinched the arm she was holding onto.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Shizuka woke up to the sun shining on her face, an odd feeling as she was usually required to wake up before dawn for training or because she was on a mission.

 

Heading downstairs she found her mother washing the dishes from breakfast, a small plate of food separated for her at her usual seat.

 

"Good morning, Ka-san." She grinned as Yoshino spun around swinging the spatula she was cleaning wildly and sending droplets of water everywhere. "Sorry, its second nature now to make no noise."

 

"Good morning, darling. That's alright, just remember to switch off those instincts at home, your father is bad enough."

 

"He still tries to do it when coming home late?"

 

"Especially after a night out drinking with Chōza and Inoichi." Her mother shook her head and returned to cleaning the dishes. "Do you have any dirty laundry from your mission? I was planning on doing the laundry this morning before heading to the Yamanaka's for tea."

 

"I'll be sure to put them in my basket before heading out, thank you." Shizuka sat down and started on her breakfast while also reading what she had already written for her report of the mission.

 

"So, will we be seeing you more now that the initiation process is out of the way?" Her mother's tone was light, but she knew her mom enough to know that she was the one who expressed the most concern about her joining ANBU.

 

"Hai, I should be slotted to regular rotations and while on standby for the squad. Once that is complete then I'll be taking more missions both with my team and others."

 

Her mother hummed in acknowledgement and turned the water tap off.

 

"I'll be in the garden, please wash the dishes when you're done and don't forget the laundry. Why don't you meet up with Shika after the academy? I'm sure he misses you too." She walked over and kissed her daughter's head. "Have a good day!"

 

"Sure! It'll be nice to see them all. Have a good day!"

 

For the next hour she focused on her report and once she finished adding the last notes to it she stood to wash the dishes.

 

' _It's just past twelve, team four should be having their usual training session right about now.'_ Shizuka went back to her room and quickly put on her usual clothes and dropped off the dirty laundry in the basket of the bathroom she shared with Shikamaru.

 

Once leaving the compound she walked calmly towards the training ground team four usually trained at. It was still early, and they probably hadn't decided to head out for their customary weekly lunch.

 

As she approached she started sensing Masaru and Kaito's spar and the other chakra present was still and relaxed, easily identifying the signature as Kouta-sensei's Shizuka grinned and walked faster just in time to see a fireball dissipating and Masaru getting his legs knocked out from under him by Kaito's sweeping kick.

 

"Seems like I've missed quite a bit! Kaito you are learning genjutsu now too?" Shizuka called out as she Kaito helped Masaru up, the boys immediately grinning up at her appearance.

 

"Zuka! Where have you been!" Masaru grinned as he approached with Kaito. Judging by the way his clothes were covered in dirt and his general appearance she could tell they had just had an intense sparring session.

 

"Sorry boys, I've been on a long-term mission."

 

"Of course you noticed the genjutsu. Yeah, I've decided to learn more about it. Masa is a surprisingly deep fountain of knowledge in the area."

 

"Hey! Surprising?!" Masaru gave Kaito's shoulder a punch. "Seriously, Zuka, it's been what two months since we last saw you?"

 

"Give or take." Shizuka glanced at their Sensei who had kept quiet from his perch on the boulder they usually met at.

 

"A successful mission, I assume?" Kouta joined his former students on the ground.

 

"Hai." Shizuka grinned, they ignored the questioning looks from the other two, but they knew better than to ask, so the topic quickly changed.

 

"So, Sensei, now that you've seen my new tricks do you think I'm ready for the ANBU entrance test?"

 

"Maybe. We should probably polish the other non-combat related skills before making that decision."

 

"What does it entail exactly anyway?" Masaru piped up causing Shizuka to raise her eyebrows, "I'm not interested, but I'm curious to know."

 

"You'll go through several drills, sparring, protocol testing…" Kouta listed off as the group moved to the shade of the boulder. "You should be able to pass, but you need to be sure you're ready."

 

"What type of drills? Like the one you've been doing with us?" Kaito prodded as the team moved slowly to the shades of the nearby trees.

 

"Drills are broken into categories and then move on to grouped knowledge. Chase simulation, hunting simulation, battle, elimination…" Shizuka explained further, this time it was her teammates who raised their eyebrows in surprise. In response, Shizuka smirked and tilted her head, her tone taking on a teasing lilt. "I had to go through all that training too,  _remember_?"

 

There was a brief moment of silence before Kaito's eyes widened and he nodded in understanding.

 

' _And, Kaito has figured it out. Masa…"_ Shizuka watched her other teammate for a moment before smirking. ' _Ah, there it is.'_

 

Now that her team was aware of her newest position, she wouldn't have to worry about excusing her absence as much. She glanced around the clearing taking note of burnt patches of grass before she turned back to Kaito.

 

"Kaito, I learnt the water bullet! It's been a year since you showed it to me. And it takes so much concentration!" Shizuka pouted, "I was lucky there was a pond nearby, have I ever said how much I hate fireballs?"

 

"Only every time we've been on the receiving end of them. Which will increase now, because I have learnt it." Masaru teased reaching over to tug the end of Shizuka's braid.

 

"Two fire users? I'm doomed." Shizuka sighed dramatically.

 

"Forgetting your poor old Sensei already? Make that three."

 

"Ganging up on me, are you? Well, next time we spar be on the lookout for slightly overcharged lightning whips. I might or might not have the control over them perfected and thus the shock might hurt more than what I intend."

 

"Li-Lightning whips? Who the hell taught you that?" Masaru's eyes widened and Kaito subtly took a step away from their shortest member.

 

"I have new sparring partners." Shizuka grinned cheerfully.

 

"Are you joining us for lunch or are you needed elsewhere?" Kouta-sensei spoke up from where he observed his students, a small smile tugging at his lips.

 

"I can't sorry. I have a meeting with Inoichi-Oji! I should be free tomorrow, how about a late lunch?"

 

"Sure, the curry place?" Kaito suggested and received nods of confirmation from everyone.

 

"It's a plan then, see you all tomorrow." Shizuka offered her fists for their customary three-way fist bump before waving the group off and heading to the Intelligence building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses as to what her mask is? The answer will be revealed soon XD
> 
> xx  
> SC


	27. Growing Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\
> 
> Hey!
> 
> Just one or two more chapters until the original storyline starts popping through! Which hopefully means some of my former decisions will start making sense and some ripples will shine through (hopefully)!
> 
> Thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy!
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

"We're back." Shizuka called as she entered the hotel room followed by Hayate. "For the price these mercenaries are being paid they really don't measure up."

 

"They have quantity over quality. Their numbers are what will cause us problems, we need to plan carefully." Hayate coughed as he moved over to the table where there other two teammates were writing notes and started doing the same.

 

"Any idea where the money is actually coming from? No way is a pottery company  _that_  well off." Shizuka grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen and jotted down some quick observations before moving to the board they had set up in the room she was sharing with the other kunoichi of the team Yūgao.

 

"There is absolutely nothing tracing back to them, but I'd guess drugs, it would be easy to smuggle inside the decorations and pots." Genma suggested as the senbon in his mouth twitched, "Wouldn't be the weirdest way we've seen drugs and poisons distributed."

 

Shizuka didn't even turn to look at the man, instead just threw the pen she was using at his head letting out a satisfied snort as she heard it impact his head.

 

"Oi! Since when is your aim that good?"

 

"Hey! My aim was never bad! Besides it's been what, five years since the last mission we were on together? I was still a  _Genin_  then I'm the same rank as you now!"

 

"Five!? Already!?"

 

She glanced over her shoulders to watch Genma doing some form of calculation with his fingers and rolled her eyes moving towards the table to pick up the notes her teammates wrote and completely ignored Yūgao's amused expression.

 

She had been on a couple of ANBU rotations with the woman and even sparred together a couple of times when they ran into each other in the training rooms reserved for ANBU. While she wasn't in her base team, they shared a couple of patrol rotations making Shizuka reasonably familiar with the woman's chakra signature and her distinctive purple hair just confirmed her theory. Judging by the woman's amused expression when she found out they were going on this mission together she probably knew her too.

 

"Alright, so we have more incriminating information regarding the truck company and more evidence to ties to the local rogue group that has been meddling with the local court." She felt her teammates move to her back as she continued attaching the information and linking them with the colourful strings.

 

"Genma will sneak into offices of the merchant build tonight while you and Yūgao infiltrate the warehouse. I'll be your lookout outside in case anyone approaches." Hayate moved towards the plans they had collected earlier of the warehouse, "This is supposed to be the updated floor plan, but keep an eye out for anything that doesn't match up."

 

"Shizuka did you get an estimate on numbers?" Yūgao questioned as she too looked over the floorplan.

 

"Well, there are enough that it's hard for me to distinguish between them as they aren't familiar to me. However, there are around twenty shinobi in the warehouse, the majority range from Genin to Chūnin with one or two stronger signatures. The other thirty or so are civilian level thugs."

 

"Alright, we proceed with caution. Shizuka I assume your summons know what to do if we find ourselves in a bind?"

 

Shizuka nodded before glancing at the clock.

 

"Who's coming to buy dinner?"

 

"Genma can go, he already knows what we like." Yūgao quickly offered with a sweet smile towards the younger girl who just narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Won't you go Genma?"

 

"Hai, just you two stay out of the other room." Genma teased as he put away his senbon and walked towards the door.

 

"I have to stay in this room too!" Shizuka complained as she followed the brown-haired man who just smirked at her over his shoulder in response.

 

The pair walked out of the inn and made their way to the bustling centre of town.

 

"And to think last time we were on a mission you would look too suspicious in the night scene." Genma teased as they navigated through the small crowd of people heading to the nightlife.

 

"Technically it's still weird as I'm only sixteen."

 

"A little makeup and heels and you could possibly claim being eighteen." Genma retorted glancing down at the teen. "It's useful for infiltration, allows for a wider range of characters."

 

"Uh… thanks, I guess?"

 

Genma chuckled and held the door of a curry restaurant open for her to enter ahead of him. There were a couple of patrons waiting to order so Shizuka took the opportunity to get them the menus while Genma kept their place in line.

 

"I can't believe it's been five years since I was last on a mission with you." Genma commented as he read his menu. "Now that I think about it I've barely seen you around the village since you made Chūnin."

 

"After I made Chūnin I fell into a harsh training schedule and then got trapped at Intel with some task forces for about a year. I've been back to normal duties since my promotion just over a year ago."

 

"In that case, I've just been lucky to not get assigned a mission with you." Genma teased, his eyes raising to see her glare over the top of her menu. "Well, you have to admit the mission I did have with you was quite…  _troublesome_."

 

Shizuka took a deep breath to avoid punching the man and instead just swatted at him with her menu.

 

"It was a  _flower!_ Will no one ever forget this story?"

 

"Nope." Genma put the menu on an empty table and glanced back at Shizuka who was still scanning the page. "Choose option three, it's the one Hayate and I had a couple of days ago."

 

"Fine, I'll trust you." Shizuka sighed and put the menu down. "How did you meet Hayate and Yūgao? You all seem quite close."

 

"Hayate graduated the same year I did and we both favour weaponry so we used to train together a lot. I met Yūgao through him, but I've been on several missions with her since then."

 

"Good evening, what can I get you two?" The woman at the counter smiled at the pair.

 

"Two option three's, one option five and one option seven. And a side of vegetable dumplings. It's all for takeaway." Genma ordered as Shizuka handed over the money they were given for their mission with a raised eyebrow at the additional order.

 

"You always order dumplings." Genma shrugged as they received the change and stepped to the side to wait for their order. "So, how is that team of yours?"

 

"We're all Chūnin now and the boys are training for a Jōnin promotion. Kouta-Sensei still trains us, though he's been on a lot of missions recently too."

 

"Can't wait to see for myself how much you improved." Genma grinned as their order was called.

 

Shizuka grabbed one of the bags and they walked back to the inn in a comfortable silence.

 

* * *

 

Later that night Yūgao and Shizuka were geared up and ready to head into the warehouse while Hayate kept watch from a nearby tree.

 

Exchanging quick handsigns with their lookout, the two kunoichis exchanged a look before Shizuka dashed around the building to crouch under the first window.

 

A quick check confirmed the room was empty and by using her shadows to cover her she travelled through them inside. Taking a moment to brush off the creeping cold of the shadows, she then stretched her senses she easily located Yūgao's signature on the other side of the warehouse.

 

By monitoring the immediate area around her, Shizuka managed to avoid contact with any of the mercenaries and judging by the lack of disturbances from Yūgao's side she assumed there had been no issues there either.

 

The objective for the night was to obtain official documents with records of criminal activity to justify a takedown as well as getting a feel for the interior and a better estimate on their numbers.

 

Shizuka entered an empty storage room and a few steps into the room until a feeling made her stop. Looking down at her black sandals she swiped her leg from side to side in front of her.

 

' _Now, what do we have here…'_ Shizuka crouched on the floor and reaching out to the seam of the wall and floor, tracing her fingers along until she felt a gust of cold air. ' _Hidden room? No latch that I can see.'_

 

Standing back up she ran her hand down the wall searching for anything to open the door keeping her from whatever was inside. With no success, Shizuka spread her senses again.

 

' _Damn, whatever this wall is made out its a blocking material… Guess we'll have to have a look later.'_

 

With a frustrated sigh Shizuka decided to move along, she didn't have time to investigate as she still hadn't finished her job of scouting her side of the warehouse.

 

Keeping track of each new signature she passed by Shizuka snuck through the halls until she entered the main deposit of goods. Taking advantage of the long shadows cast by the rows of stacked boxes, she easily weaved through the room until she found the back office.

 

Gathering her shadows and slipping into the locked office she quickly shuffled through the papers on the desk before moving to the shelves of scrolls and books.

 

' _Transaction logs, shipment details…'_ Holding back a sigh at the boring information the Nara moved to a different shelf.  _'Contacts, nice!'_

 

Taking a moment to memorise the information and catalogue where everything was in the room she moved on to the desk drawers.

 

She took a moment to stretch her senses to find Yūgao still in her area and ensure there were no disturbances, satisfied that she was on time and nothing seemed disturbed she continued her search.

 

As she finished the search of the office she had to hold back a groan of disappointment. Nothing she had read had any new information other than maybe more updated logs and shipment as well as dates for future stocks.

 

For the takedown to be successful she needed more information on the mercenaries, the best place to get that: the leader. She left the office and huddled between to stacks of boxes, quickly summoning a racoon.

 

"Kei, find Yūgao, tell her I'm getting information from the leader then find Hayate outside and let him know too." Shizuka crouched so that the summon wouldn't have to look up. "Hallways are empty, but stick to the shadows."

 

"Hai, Shizuka-chan." Kei wasn't her smallest summon, but her head was the size of Shizuka's hand, making her small compared to some of her siblings.

 

Kei's fur had darker tones than some of the other summons and coupled with her size she was Shizuka's favoured summon for sneaking around. Shizuka had spent months training her summons how to suppress chakra, hide and a number of skills that were useful for furry creatures were somewhat clumsy yet their sharp minds were what made them a good match for Shizuka and her own skills.

 

Once her summon disappeared in Yūgao's direction, Shizuka spread her senses and sought out the strongest signature she could find amongst the mercenaries. With a location in mind, she easily weaved through the hallways until she came across one of the bunk rooms.

 

' _Five people inside. Strongest signature is furthest from the door.'_ Shizuka focused on the shadows once more. Moments like these she would really appreciate having stronger genjutsus in her arsenal, but she just wasn't the genjutsu type.

 

Once she was ready, she tugged at the shadows and reappeared under the target's bunk. Sliding from under the bed with a poisoned senbon at the ready to launch at all the occupants of the room.

 

The Nara observed her target and noticed the scratched Grass headband around his bicep, the sword propped against the bed and the bag at the foot of the bed. There was only one scroll in the bag along with spare clothes, thus making her job slightly easier.

 

She opened the scroll and scanned its contents, finding only coded orders. Stuffing the scroll back into place she returned the bag to the bed and quickly took to the shadows to return to the corridor.

 

As soon as she was in the dimly lit hallway she checked up on Yūgao's position and found her to be retreating to the exit point.

 

' _Time's up then.'_ Shizuka proceeded to run towards her exit point, sighing as she had to duck into a storage closet to escape the switching of guards.

 

Even with small delays of switching directions and taking a less direct path, she reached the location she entered from rather quickly. By the time she reached Hayate's position Yūgao was already there and they were both observing the warehouse as the guards changed.

 

"All set here." Shizuka whispered as she landed beside them.

 

"Let's return then." Hayate stood from his crouched position and the trio began the short run back towards the inn in silence.

 

"Genma's back already." Shizuka commented as they slipped through a window on their floor. "Tell him to write down what he found, I'll add everything when we meet up."

 

"I will. Get some rest. Tomorrow we plan for the takedown." Hayate coughed as he opened the door to his room.

 

"Hai." Both women nodded and proceeded to their room.

 

"You can have the bathroom first, I have some things to write down." Shizuka nodded towards the bathroom attached to their room.

 

"Thank you. I'll write my findings after I'm done." Yūgao grabbed a few things from her pack before moving to the bathroom

 

Shizuka hummed as she settled at the table, pen and paper already in hand. When the older kunoichi returned to the room it was only to see Shizuka scribbling notes as if her life depended on it. With an amused smile, she settled opposite the younger girl and started on her own notes at a much less enthusiastic rate.

 

* * *

 

The next day the group didn't leave the inn until it was time to enact their plan. The objective was to wipe out the mercenaries and do a cleanup of the building in hopes of finding any information about the person leading the operation.

 

"Shizuka, Yūgao head inside, take each room, no bodies in sight. Shizuka we'll bring the leader in for questioning." Hayate whispered his orders as they approached the warehouse.

 

Hayate and Genma split off from them to handle the guards leaving clones to hold up appearances in case anyone looked out the window. They didn't have any sensors amongst their ranks which ensured their ruse wouldn't be spotted easily.

 

The women sneaked inside through the same locations they had the previous night. Shizuka located the leader first in an office close to the room he had slept in.

 

From outside the office door, she snuck her shadow through the crack under the door and landed behind the rogue's back, easily jamming a senbon coated in paralytic to his pressure point. Ensuring he was out she summoned a large racoon to keep watch while she proceeded to the first bunkroom she could find.

 

Several beds were empty despite having clearly been slept in, meaning there were mercenaries awake somewhere in the warehouse. She located the concentration of chakra in the main deposit as the team had predicted, which meant they were still on track for plan A.

 

As she left one of the bunk rooms she found Genma eliminating one man in the corridor. With a nod, she held the door open for her comrade to drop the body on one of the beds.

 

'Corridor clear.' Genma signed quickly in the Konoha standard and Shizuka nodded in understanding before she signed her response.

 

'Proceed to main deposit. Enemy concentration.'

 

The pair ran through the corridors ensuring no shinobi slipped past their screening. For the last few bunks, they encountered they found some enemies awake and getting ready for their duties.

 

Shizuka slipped her shadows into the rooms capturing them and using a tendril to ensure they wouldn't make a sound as Genma opened the door and quickly dispatched them with perfectly aimed projectiles.

 

As they cleared the last room before they reached the shared a look before they broke apart again. Shizuka was to find another way in to ensure they had the enemies surrounded while Genma would sneak into the side door while Hayate and Yūgao would enter through the main door.

 

Shizuka quickly found the back exit of the warehouse and scaling up the building she also found the vents.

 

' _Ah, the advantages of being small.'_ With a sigh, she lowered herself into the vents and crawled through the narrow passageways until she found herself just above the deposit.  _'I'm glad we found the ventilation maps, navigating these are a pain.'_

 

From her position she could clearly see the closed main doors as well as the side door. She could sense their presence their presence behind the doors and they seemed ready to launch their assault at her signal.

 

Before that, her eyes focused on the thirty or so mercenaries below. They were moving boxes around, putting them in different piles and checking their contents. Off to one side she could see a cart full of what looked to be pills.

 

' _Found the drugs.'_ She glanced around ensuring no one was suspicious of what was happening.  _'Kami, these mercenaries suck.'_

 

"Those are going to the boss, put them in the Kisaragi load." A woman called as she flipped some papers on her clipboard and tapped on a couple of medium sized crates. "You know the drill, last to load and splintered corner."

 

' _Interesting, marking that one box amongst an entire shipment. Maybe they plan to have it 'stolen' as a way of avoiding paper trails to their boss.'_ Shizuka followed the woman and singled her out.  _'Might be a good one to capture.'_

 

Another glance around satisfied Shizuka about their ignorance she prepared to drop in, knowing the sound would cause the others to enter. With a quick elbow to the flap under her, she launched into the room.

 

Launching a projectile as she dropped down and landing in a crouch. She sighed as some the mercenaries were at least quick to react, their hands flying to grip any weapons they could find or to jump behind some crates for cover.

 

She barely noticed the sounds of the other three launching into the room engaging any enemy they came across. They might have the disadvantage of numbers but these mercenaries were Chūnin level at most, their leader could maybe claim Jōnin if he was slightly more aware of his environment.

 

Shizuka quickly drew her tantōs and dashed forward, intent on reaching the woman and capturing at least her for questioning. Said woman launched a flurry of projectiles at the Nara who knocked them off course with her tantōs.

 

As the fight was contained to the main deposit full of unknown goods they really couldn't risk using much ninjutsu unless they were confident they had full control.

 

Grunting as she was forced to block to different opponents on either side of her. She allowed the two men to push her arms closer to each other as she leaned backwards. Just as her arms were about to cross she disengaged her blades and launched into a back handspring, her opponents having had most of their weight pressed into their blades stumbled forward and knocked into each other.

 

Just as she reached an acceptable distance Shizuka body flickered back to the two and slid her tantōs between their ribs all the way before sliding them back and continuing towards the woman that now had a wary look in her eyes.

 

Turned out she didn't even have to engage the woman as Genma body flickered behind her and slid a senbon into her pressure point.

 

"Too slow." He lowered the woman to the ground and grinned up at Shizuka. "Think she has some info for us?"

 

"Seemed to be in charge of the idiots here, so worth a try." Shrugging she turned around and blocked a few projectiles launched by an approaching group of mercenaries. "At least they think I'm skilled enough to warrant group attacks."

 

"Do people really underestimate you that much?" Genma asked as he stepped to her side, his head shaking slightly once Shizuka shrugged. "Clearly haven't realised the most dangerous opponents are the ones that look the least threatening."

 

Shizuka didn't bother to comment but let a smile slip as they launched into the fray together to dispatch the remaining mercenaries.

 

In the end, they hadn't found any worthy opponents, but none of them walked away scot-free. Even if the mercenaries didn't have the power to truly injure any of them, they all had some bruises from hits that were landed while their hands were occupied with another opponent or cuts from flying projectiles they couldn't dodge in time because of the same reason.

 

Shizuka could particularly feel her shoulders as most of her opponents had the advantage of brute strength against her. The Konoha shinobi met in the centre of the deposit after checking they had eliminated everyone.

 

"Shizuka, the leader?" Hayate wasted no time in calling for a check of the warehouse.

 

"Sleeping soundly with a summon as a guard, there is a woman over there that we also captured, she seemed to know what was happening around here." Shizuka nodded towards the side where the unconscious woman was.

 

"We'll check the bodies and seal them first. Then we can have a look at the strange alteration you found, then clean-up."

 

"Hai." The other three chorused and they split up to start on sealing the bodies into scrolls.

 

No words were exchanged as they cleared up the floor. It was a quick job as none of the mercenaries had anything interesting on their persons and everything was done rather quickly.

 

They proceeded to do the same for the bodies in the other areas of the warehouse before they regrouped to the place Shizuka had pointed out while they planned their attack.

 

The room Shizuka had found didn't have anything extraordinary there either. Inside there were three doors, one was a safe with some valuables and cash, one had drugs and the other revealed a medium room with several test tubes and shelves full of ingredients.

 

"Genma you check this room and seal what is safe, Shizuka you take the other two rooms. Yūgao and I will start on the rest of the warehouse." Hayate gave one glance around the room before he started back out to the corridor, Yūgao also poked her head in before patting Genma on the back and leaving.

 

"Have fun, I'll help if I finish first." Shizuka snickered as she entered the vault room first.

 

Sealing test tubes and experiments was always a tough job. Predicting how unknown mixtures would react to chakra was very hard to do and sealing those were jobs given to either poison experts who could figure out the mixture or fūinjutsu users who could write better seals than the average shinobi would possess.

 

As she expected she finished well before Genma who was halfway through the test tubes and vials. He didn't even look up from where he was testing one mixture for chakra reactions when he pointed to the ingredients displayed on the wall.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent by gathering every scroll and paper they could find in the warehouse. They had ration bars for lunch as to not waste time going to town for food. By the time they finished all the cleaning up protocol the sky was already painted in the golden hues of the setting sun.

 

"Let's head back." Hayate coughed as they regrouped outside the main entrance of the hideout. "We'll collect our things from the inn and depart immediately towards Konoha. Shizuka, can one of your summons carry the prisoners?"

 

Shizuka nodded and summoned one of her larger summons to carry the two unconscious rogues.

 

Since none of them had serious injuries and had a relatively calm afternoon with just clean-up they agreed to leave as soon as they had everything packed. They had been away for just over three weeks and just wanted to get home.

 

* * *

 

The quartet took turns explaining their mission to Shikaku and Inoichi on their return. The two older Jōnin looked over the condensed mind map that had been unsealed on the table as the verbal report was given.

 

"Everything looks in order, I want the reports back by tomorrow afternoon." Shikaku looked up at the team and then at Inoichi to see if the man had anything to add.

 

"Shizuka a copy of this will be sent to your office at Intel, I'm sure you'd like to slot it into the rest of the case." Inoichi glanced over the team and sealed the mind map back into the scroll. "Thank you three for your help for this task force, I believe the next time you're called will be for the final takedown."

 

The team nodded in understanding took their leave, all four of them heading to the hospital to get checked out.

 

"Not bad, Shizuka-chan! Maybe that had been a one-off unlucky mission!" Genma teased as the quartet moved towards the hospital together.

 

"Nah, I think we got lucky with this one. The last two times I was partnered with her we had a couple of issues." Yūgao commented, easily dodging the younger girl's swipe at her arm. "We nearly got ambushed once and the other time the client ended up spilling he had hired shinobi so we got attacked before we had actually done any searching."

 

"It's not my fault some people are stupid." Shizuka huffed as Hayate and Genma laughed.

 

"Didn't know you two had been on missions together that often." Hayate looked between the two kunoichis, the younger of which just shrugged.

 

"Mainly the occasional patrol, we only had one proper mission together." Shizuka explained her eyes darting to Yūgao and then the two men.

 

"Ah, I see." Hayate paused to cough before a smirk bloomed on his face. "I just hope your bad luck doesn't influence any other mission we might have together."

 

"Guess you'll be getting a new nickname soon. Tiny just isn't threatening enough for your new rank." Genma gave her an appraising look.

 

' _If only you knew…'_ Shizuka sighed and gave a half-hearted glare at Yūgao who choked out a laugh she had been trying to suppress.

 

* * *

 

None of them had any serious wounds. A couple of cuts and bruises which were easily treated by the medics. They said goodbye as each signed out at the reception. As Shizuka grabbed her pack from the floor to leave she saw Kaito leaving too.

 

"Kaito, what brings you to the hospital?"

 

"Final checkup for my knee. I had busted my kneecap pretty badly in my last mission and it's been a pain, but I'm officially in the clear now." Kaito grinned as they walked out together. "You just got back from a mission, right?"

 

"Hai, pretty okay just an overwhelming amount of low-ranking enemy." Shizuka shrugged as she picked at her wrapped arms. "How's Masa been?"

 

"Why are you asking me?"

 

"Oh, please. You two have grown much closer since we all became Chūnin."

 

Kaito stammered for a bit, a faint blush colouring his cheeks before he sighed in defeat, no way was he fooling Shizuka.

 

"He's been good, we're… Well, I don't know what we are."

 

"That's an easy fix, it's called talking. I thought you two were already doing that."

 

"Ha, ha. Has anyone ever told you that you're funny?" Kaito bumped his shoulder with hers. "And what about you, Zuka, anyone Masa and I should keep an eye out for?"

 

"Reiji asked me out, but we've been friends for too long. I went on a date with Genkei right before this mission too."

 

"Inuzuka Genkei the Chūnin? What of it?"

 

"Yeah, Hana introduced us a while ago. He's nice, but not my type." Shizuka glared at her teammate when he snorted.

 

"I'm sorry." He laughed for another moment before tugging at the end of her braid. "And what exactly is your type, Zuka?"

 

"Not boring."

 

"Right…" Kaito drawled as they turned the last corner before they had to part ways. "Alright then, I'll update Masa on 'your type' and we will find someone for you."

 

"No thank you." Shizuka pouted as Kaito just snickered again. "I'll see you around Kaito."

 

"See you, Zuka!"

 

With one last smile at her teammate, she proceeded down the road leading into the Nara compound. It was still fairly early in the afternoon, so she had hopes of finishing her report early and having a nap before dinner.

 

Those hopes went out the window as soon as she sensed her uncle's presence in the house, causing her to rush down the path offering rushed greeting to the clan members she passed.

 

"Daichi-Oji!" Shizuka tugged her boots off quickly and smiled broadly at her uncle who was sat writing a report at the kitchen table. "You're back early!"

 

"Zuka! I got lucky with my latest mission. So, I hear you have some news?" He looked pointedly at her shoulder and raised an eyebrow as she moved to pat the hidden ANBU tattoo.

 

"Ah yes, you're training really paid off." Shizuka moved in to hug him around his shoulders but was promptly stopped by him.

 

Daichi snickered at his niece's pout and shook his head before pointing up the stairs.

 

"No hugs until you've showered. I just cleaned up." Daichi let her arms go and stood from the table. "Your mom left some miso for you, so I'll heat that up while you get changed."

 

"Thank you! Has she gone out for tea?"

 

"Hai, she also needed to buy groceries and I think she was going to drag Shikamaru along to help."

 

"Shika dreads seeing her waiting for him at the academy, it normally means he's going to have to help carry things home."

 

"Sounds about right. Now off with you, you stink." Daichi pinched his nose and waved her off as he moved to the fridge to get her lunch ready.

 

Once she was ready she returned to the kitchen giving her uncle a kiss on the cheek as he passed her a bowl of miso soup.

 

"So have your ANBU contacts clued you in on my mask?" Shizuka questioned as she glanced up from her food. "Tō-san hasn't seen it yet, but the moment he does he'll know its me. I never realised how much of a sense of humour ANBU had."

 

"So they went with the ironic path with you?" Daichi snorted as he looked up from his report to see his niece's glare. "I don't know your mask, but I suppose I might find out soon."

 

"I'm pretty sure Kouta-sensei had a say in it. How do you pick the masks anyway?"

 

"Codenames often personality, generally from what is observed in the trials. Makes it easier to remember them not to mention it's sometimes funny."

 

"Mine is half true the other part is the opposite of what others would associate with me." Shizuka huffed as she pulled out a scroll with the beginnings of a report.

 

A comfortable silence fell between the pair as they focused on writing their reports and by the time they were finished Yoshino had returned with Shikamaru and had started cooking dinner, sending both of them out of the kitchen.

 

They sat on the outside porch and started a game of shogi, with Shikamaru eventually joining in and sitting next to his sister.

 

"So, Shika, you're set on taking you regular slotted graduation exam in a year?" Daichi questioned his nephew as he moved one of his pieces, his eyes straying momentarily to look at him before returning to the board.

 

"I'm definitely not taking any of the earlier ones. It's too much work."

 

"It's the same amount of work you'll have to do next year." Shizuka commented as her fingers hovered around some of her pieces.

 

"It's not like anyone expects me to either." Shikamaru shrugged as he leaned closer to the board, "Go with your first idea, it's the best plan."

 

Shizuka grinned and followed her brother's advice and sent a wink towards her uncle's annoyed glare

 

"It's not technically cheating if he offers advice so freely."


	28. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Just a notice that the next chapter will be the start of canon!
> 
> Well done to mayonacloud for getting the mask right! Now don't go spilling the secret just yet. For people who haven't guessed, if you get it right, I will send a sneak peek of the following chapter (I'll find a way). The answer will be revealed in chapter 31 (last weekend of March).
> 
> There is another hint in this chapter for the mask, so good luck to those who are trying. :D
> 
> On another note, starting next chapter I will post a weekly question here. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I do enjoy communicating with you readers, so I will be replying at the end of every chapter.
> 
> Thanks! And Enjoy!
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

Shizuka winced for the third time as her mother brushed out the last knot from her hair as they sat on her bed.

 

"Just half pinned up?" Her mother asked as she started partitioning strands of hair at her left temple.

 

"Hai, that would be perfect." Shizuka sighed as she let her mother braid a strand from each temple meeting at the back before twisting it into a bun and pinning it with a flower clip, letting the lower layers of her hair to tumble down her back in their usual waves.

 

"Do you plan on putting make-up?" Yoshino asked and snickered as she noticed her daughter's scrunched nose in the mirror across from the bed. "Just lipstick then?"

 

"Fine, but that is it." Shizuka huffed as her mother moved to her closet pulling out a dark green long sleeve dress. "Ah, that's a good choice. I haven't worn it yet."

 

"It's pretty." Yoshino threw the piece of clothing at her daughter who caught it with an amused expression. "Now finish getting ready, the boy should be arriving soon."

 

Shizuka chuckled as she moved to the closet to grab thin black tights and went to the bathroom. She slipped into the clothes being cautious of her hair and applied the light pink lipstick.

 

Despite it being far from her usual look Shizuka somewhat enjoyed dressing up occasionally. When all she ever did was related to her duties as a kunoichi it felt nice changing the style of her outfits. Or maybe that was Ino's influence.

 

' _Ino will be happy I'm wearing her gift, I might have to get a picture just to show that I tried.'_ With a sigh, she moved back to her room to grab a jacket for the chilly weather starting to fall over the Land of Fire.

 

Finally, she sensed her date's approach of the compound, knowing she had little time she threw what she needed into a small purse and slung that across her shoulder before heading to the entrance. She sat down to put her ankle boots and finished just as a knock sounded.

 

"Ka-San I'm heading out."

 

"Hai, have fun! Don't come home too late!"

 

Shaking her head at her mother's warning she opened the door to greet Hideyoshi.

 

"Shizuka-chan! You look great." Hideyoshi was tall and lean with shoulder-length dirty blond hair and shiny purple eyes. "Ready to go?"

 

"Hai." Shizuka smiled as she fell into step with the older boy. "How was your shift at the hospital?"

 

"Ah, an injured team of Chūnins arrived today from a mission. Nothing too serious thankfully, but there were numerous injuries. A couple of broken ribs, two concussions and some cuts and bruises."

 

"Ah, let me guess, they got caught on the wrong end of a wind jutsu?" Shizuka winced sympathetically at the list.

 

"Hai, how did you guess?"

 

"I have caused my fair share of damage with wind jutsus. I'm quite familiar with the results."

 

"Ah yes, I forget you are already a Tokujō." Hideyoshi scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "How has that been?"

 

"It hasn't changed much from Chūnin except I don't take mission desk or gate watch rotations. I've been pretty busy on some task forces with Intelligence."

 

"Do you have a favourite rotation? I prefer working in the physical therapy area of the hospital or even the clinic, but I have to assist in the emergency room occasionally."

 

"My rotation at intelligence is nice, there is always a case to look over, so there is always something to do. Out of the standard rotations I suppose border patrol is my favourite, you don't go far but the fresh air and silence are often refreshing from the bustling village."

 

Hideyoshi hummed as he tried to imagine the scene before glancing down at her shorter frame.

 

"You Nara really like the outdoors then, your compound is practically in a forest!"

 

"It's calming and peaceful we don't like conflict, but don't enjoy being cooped up for too long." Shizuka commented, letting the silence drift between them for a few minutes before they entered the restaurant.

 

Hideyoshi held the door open for her and they were quickly ushered to a small booth in the corner.

 

Dinner went by surprisingly quickly considering they talked mainly about their circle of friends, which didn't overlap at all, and what they did to fill their times outside of their job.

 

Hideyoshi nodded and hummed as she talked about her puzzles and she did the same as he told her about the times he's gone to different cities with his mother who owns a small clothing store in the centre of town.

 

At the end of the night Hideyoshi offered to pay for both of them and they left the restaurant walking at a slower pace now that they didn't need to be on time for their reservation. As soon as they reached the main road they stopped and faced each other, each preparing to go their own way.

 

"Goodnight, Shizuka-chan!" Hideyoshi tipped his head and smiled softly at her.

 

"Goodnight." With a wave she turned in the direction of the compound, only managing to take a few steps before she heard her name being called. "Huh?"

 

"Dressed up and in the market district at night. So, how was your date?" Genma asked as he matched his pace to hers.

 

"What makes you think it was a date?"

 

"If it was family you wouldn't be alone, and if it was a friend you wouldn't have put in the effort." He smirked down at her as she shook her head.

 

"It was alright, Hana has been on worse dates from what she's told me." Shizuka replied. "You know you're not half bad at deduction."

 

"Oi!" He huffed in mock offence causing both of them to chuckle. "Any news on the takedown of that illegal organisation from our mission with Hayate and Yūgao?"

 

"I'm supposed to have a meeting with Inoichi-Oji-San and Ibiki-San soon, we had a takedown for two separate task forces this month. I haven't even checked in on the prisoners we brought in." Shizuka replied as she thought back to the last mission they had together, "I'm fairly certain you'll be added to the team if you happen to be available."

 

"I'll look forward to it. As long as your luck doesn't make it all go up in flames." He snickered at her deadpan expression. "On another note, my  _squad_  is down a sensor for a mission we have coming up and I was wondering if you wanted to fill in."

 

It didn't slip by her notice the way he emphasised squad. She gave him a questioning look for a moment before she replied.

 

"You'll have to ask my captain, but I've finished all the standard procedures." Her voice lowered so that only he would hear. "Why me? I'm sure there are more experienced sensors in the ranks."

 

"We need a wide range and Aoba sings you praises whenever you're brought up." Genma shrugged. "Besides Yūgao has been tight-lipped about your mask and I need to get you a new nickname."

 

"Fine, I'll let my taichō know." Shizuka sighed as they turned into the street of the compound. "Speaking of Aoba, is he in the village? There was something I needed his help with."

 

"He is today and tomorrow, though I believe he has a mission after and he'll be gone for a while. Is it to do with your sensory skill?"

 

"Well, kind of." Shizuka shook her head and looked up to see Genma's expectant gaze. "How much do you know about the Nara shadow techniques?"

 

"I've been on missions with some clan members before." Genma replied looking at the younger woman as she visibly tried collected her thoughts to formulate an explanation. "You're trying to combine them?"

 

"How did you-" Shizuka's eyes widened comically before she released a breath. "Yeah, we kind of feel the shadows to some extent, we know when they connect to someone, normally we can see who, but that isn't always the case."

 

"In the traditional formation you would have been paired with a frontline fighter to distract, you catch and someone else finishes. The famous Ino-Shika-Chō combo." Genma flicked the senbon in his mouth amusedly at her raised eyebrows, "You do know Chōza was my sensei when I was a Genin right? I've heard a  _lot_ of stories."

 

"Right! Anyways, with my sensory technique, I can sense when people are captured. Kind of…" Shizuka frowned as she tried to explain, "Whenever shinobi react to anything our chakra imitates it. So if we suddenly panic because we got frozen in place…"

 

"Then your chakra would react accordingly."

 

"Exactly, but that's only when I actually connect. When I was training I figured out a way of predicting chakra natures based on the unique feel of every signature."

 

"Ambitious." Genma nodded as he nodded along with her explanation. "Judging by your expression it doesn't work that easily."

 

"I have to be close range and it sometimes takes a while. The more familiar I am with the signature the easier it is. But if I can use my shadows as a method of proximity…"

 

"Then you could get the information without having to come to close and getting noticed. I assume you have a way around the target freezing up?"

 

"We can control the movement allowed, we can do it so that it's connected but not restricted. Maybe even just touching not even fully connected."

 

" _Very_ ambitious." Genma chuckled as they passed through the gates to the Nara compound. "I wish you all the luck in figuring it out."

 

"You didn't have to walk past your house you know." Genma's eyes snapped down to look at her but she was looking ahead at her house.

 

"I was intrigued. Besides after a day of guard duty I needed an intelligent conversation."

 

"Thanks. I'll see you around, Genma." Shizuka waved at the man who then flicked his senbon back.

 

"See you around, Shizuka."

 

She watched as he made his way out of the compound and turned to enter her house a small smile dancing on her lips as she sat on the small step inside her house to remove her shoes. She glanced over her shoulder to see Shikamaru looking out the window facing the front of the house.

 

"How was the academy?" Shizuka stood with her shoes in hand to put them back into the closet in her room.

 

"That wasn't who you went on a date with." Her younger brother looked back at her with his head slightly tilted to the side in confusion. "Why didn't your  _date_ walk you home?"

 

"He lives in a different direction, we walked together until we had to split." Shizuka tugged at her brother's hair as she walked past him. "Genma happens to live close by and we ran into each other, so we walked together."

 

"He walked you through the compound, and the closest residence block is before that on the street." Shikamaru slapped her hand away and followed her as she walked to her room.

 

"We were having a good conversation." She held a snort as her brother entered her room after her and sat at her desk. "Have you had a change of heart and decided to go into T&I? Your method wouldn't be effective with enemy shinobi."

 

"Nee-San…" Shikamaru scowled as his sister teased him. "How did you two meet?"

 

"He accompanied team four when we were Genin. We also have some friends in common and he has been on a couple of missions with me since my Tokujō promotion." Shizuka replied as she moved to the bathroom to wash her face and change into pyjamas.

 

Shizuka snickered in amusement as her brother remained in her room as she left to do her nightly routine.

 

"He's a Jōnin? How old is he?" He asked as soon as she returned to her room.

 

"He's a Tokujō too, has been since I first met him. He's around twenty-four or twenty-five? I don't actually know when his birthday is."

 

"So you're not close?"

 

"Shika…" Shizuka laughed as she picked two books from the shelf in the corner and flicked through each one. "He's a friend, we have common interests and he's funny."

 

"Troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled as he slumped further into the chair at his sister's desk when she laughed more at his expense.

 

"It's sweet that you're looking out for me. Though it's really not necessary." Shizuka put one of the books back and moved towards him. She planted a kiss on his cheek before she moved to sit on her bed.

 

"Just wanted to know if I had to keep anything from Tō-San." The youngest Nara grumbled as he stood from his seat and made his way towards his own room. "Goodnight, Nee-San."

 

"Goodnight, otouto."

 

* * *

 

The next morning she slept in for a bit and missed her father and brother as they went out for the day. When she walked into the kitchen after getting dressed in her ANBU uniform and found her mother sitting at the kitchen table reading a book with a cup of tea in hand.

 

"Good morning, Ka-san." Shizuka leaned down and kissed her mom's cheek as she moved to the counter where the remains of breakfast were and quickly made herself a bowl of rice.

 

"Good morning. How was your date yesterday?"

 

"Hideyoshi is nice, but…"

 

"Too boring?" Shizuka glanced up from her food to narrow her eyes at her mother's smirk. "I heard he didn't walk you home. Your father wasn't too impressed."

 

"Damn, Shikamaru…" Shizuka sighed as she leaned her chin on her hand as she poked at rice in the bowl. "Yeah, he lives in the other direction and I ran into a friend who walked with me instead."

 

"Yes, someone called Genma?"

 

"Hai, a Tokujō, he's just a friend though! We were having a good conversation and so he ended up walking me here."

 

"So your brother said." Yoshino smiled as her daughter shook her head and continued eating. "Maybe you should go on a date with him instead."

 

"Ka-San!" Shizuka choked on her rice at her mother's answer who burst into laughter at the young girl's reaction. "Not funny…"

 

"You went so red!"

 

"I was choking!"

 

Yoshino stopped laughing and just watched her daughter continue eating in silence for a few moments.

 

"So, is he cute?"

 

"Okay, I'm leaving. Have a good day." Shizuka ate the remaining food quickly and jumped up from the table.

 

"Shizuka!" Yoshino chuckled and stood to lean on the counter beside the sink as her daughter started to wash the bowl she had used. "How did you meet?"

 

Shizuka gave her mom a considering glance before she sighed, propping the bowl on a rack to dry.

 

"I met him on a mission when I was still a Genin. He introduced me to Aoba-Senpai and Anko-Senpai too."

 

"Ah, so you have some friends in common."

 

"Hai, we've been on a couple of missions together lately. He's been put on standby for one of the task forces I've been working on."

 

Shizuka leaned on the counter beside her mother who hummed absently a small smile playing on her lip and a twinkle in her eyes.

 

"Alright, I need to go, I have training with the squad." Shizuka shook her head and stood up straight.

 

"Have a good day, darling." Her mother kissed her cheek before moving towards the back garden.

 

Shizuka went upstairs to grab her mask before she left towards the ANBU headquarters. Having become slightly more familiar with the layout of the base, she easily navigated through the corridors until she reached her team's bunkroom.

 

"Ah, you're here, good. We're only missing Stag." Tenzō greeted her from where he sat at the desk, a half-written report in front of him

 

"Well if it isn't our little lucky charm." Bear called as he tossed a ball against the wall and caught it as it bound off the wall.

 

"Hi, grizzly." Shizuka took her mask off and pinned it on her belt ducking the rubber ball that had been thrown at her head, letting it fly out the door. "You might want to go fetch that."

 

Raidō grumbled but did so, tugging the end of her braid as she climbed to sit on her bed.

 

"Shizuka-chan, I heard the most interesting rumour today." Naoki, the second youngest member of their team, teased as he leant over from his top bunk towards her. "You went on a date with Shiranui?"

 

Shizuka groaned and covered her head with the pillow, ignoring Raidō's questions and his pokes from the bed under hers.

 

"I went on a date with Hideyoshi a Chūnin medic and Genma happened to catch me on the way home. How do you all know this?"

 

"Shinobi are the worst gossips." Raidō supplied before he gave Shizuka's mattress one last poke. "So, Genma huh? Didn't know you were that close."

 

"Shut up, grizzly." Shizuka leant over her bed to glare down at the older Tokujō.

 

"You can tell me the truth, I won't tell him anything, I promise, ni-."

 

"Oh, are you asking her about her date with Hideyoshi?" Stag walked into the room, her mask already pinned to her waist. "Sorry I'm late, we had a last minute emergency at the hospital."

 

"No worries. We should get the training started though. On another note, I heard there's another person interested in joining and we still have a place on our team, so we might be called in for a test run soon."

 

Shizuka climbed down from her bunk and smiled at their team medic and only other female of the team.

 

"I'll tell you about the date later." Shizuka told her before she clipped her mask back into place.

 

"Let me guess, too boring for you?"

 

"I'm not even going to try to guess how you know that." Shizuka grumbled as she followed their captain ignoring the woman's chuckle and the sound of her team members high-fiving.

 

* * *

 

Shizuka groaned as the hot water hit her sore muscles. While training with her ANBU team was often brutal she couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of a good training session.

 

As a Genin and occasionally as a Chūnin after such a training session she would have gone home and possibly taken a nap or pestered a Nara clan member for a game of shogi. Unfortunately, as a Tokujō she had didn't have that luxury.

 

As soon as she was ready, she was supposed to head over to Intel and was due for a meeting with Inoichi and Ibiki about recent developments on a task force they had been working on.

 

She finished up quickly and dressed in her usual clothes before grabbing her bag of dirty laundry to take home. She used the administration building exit as it was closer to her destination and waved happily at Masaru who was on mission desk duty.

 

' _I'm glad I don't have to do that anymore.'_ Shizuka left the building and walked down the road and into the Intelligence building.

 

"Good afternoon, could you please let Inoichi-San and Ibiki-San that I'll be in my office for our meeting whenever they are available?" Shizuka smiled at the receptionist who greeted her with a smile and immediately paged them. "Thank you, have a good day!"

 

Once in her 'office', she dropped her bag under her desk and shuffled the papers on her desk to see if anything was relevant to go into the map. Once satisfied they were just reports, she started taking notes on the relevant points and attaching those to the correct places on the wall.

 

"I think the Chūnins outside got over their jealousy that you got an office because they glimpsed inside, and the mess terrified them." Inoichi's voice sounded as he knocked and entered the room with Ibiki right behind him.

 

"Inoichi-Oji-San, Ibiki-San, good afternoon." Shizuka grinned at her uncle and nodded politely at Ibiki who had moved towards her desk to look over the papers there.

 

"The mercenary leader revealed new warehouses and hideouts and the leaders of the operations at each base. He has never had contact with the actual person behind all of this." Ibiki went straight to the point once he had looked over the papers on her desk.

 

"So it was all done over a middle-man?" Shizuka hummed as she looked over the map. "We don't have any information of anyone higher than the mercenary leaders. What about the woman?"

 

"She had less information on the higher-ups, but she was in charge of managing the actual exchange of products, so we got a better idea of how they are doing it. We sent out a group to track, observe and capture the leader of the Kirasagi hideout." Inoichi supplied as stepped closer to the wall to read some of her notes.

 

"We have the centre of operations down, if we take that down it'll be easy to clean up the remaining threads, but we need to catch the middle-man if we want to get the mastermind behind it all." Ibiki concluded as he reached into his long coat in search of something.

 

"We should assume the middle-man is either well trained or has hired someone well trained for protection. Do we have any idea who it could be?" Shizuka reached for the piece of paper Ibiki had extended towards her. "Locations and contacts, wonderful."

 

She grabbed a pin from her pocket and pinned the sheet close to the map so that she could add strings later. Inoichi then continued relaying the information they had.

 

"We don't have a name only a codename. 'Naga'. Even if we don't take him or her down, we have enough to completely eliminate the drug and trafficking rings. While not ideal it would take years to re-establish them to this proportion."

 

"Alright, could you please pass me the full list from the interrogation? I can cross-reference with all the other information and hopefully by the time we organise the takedown I'll have a name." Shizuka turned to Ibiki who nodded.

 

"I have other prisoners to deal with today, but I can get it to you soon."

 

"Ah that's fine, I have to catch up on the other task force over there." Shizuka nodded towards her other wall with a sheepish grin. "When are we working on the takedown?"

 

"We can schedule a meeting with your father for an initial debrief immediately. It'll take us a month or more to get everything in order for an operation of this scale." Inoichi scratched his chin as he stepped away from where he had been reading and turned to the other two occupants of the room.

 

"I can let my father know later today that we need to schedule a meeting fo-." She was interrupted by the feeling of a familiar chakra signature approaching. "Or we could just tell him now. Come in!"

 

Her father opened the door before he even had the opportunity to knock and walked inside greeting Inoichi and Ibiki with nods.

 

"Tell me what?"

 

"We believe we can move in for the final takedown of the illegal drug and human trafficking ring in the land of fire." Ibiki answered as he gestured to the map behind him.

 

"We have all locations, names, foreign contacts, numbers and all that." Shizuka completed as she stepped away from the wall so that her father could have a look at the new information.

 

"I'll have my secretary schedule a meeting tomorrow after lunch if you're all free?" Shikaku glanced back and received nods in acceptance before he focused on his daughter. "Have you had lunch yet?"

 

"No, but I believe we're finished for today?" Shizuka glanced between Inoichi and Ibiki who nodded again.

 

"Hai, good work with this, Shizuka-chan. Have a good afternoon." He smiled and walked out, Ibiki followed him out with a parting nod.

 

"My choice today, right?" Shikaku glanced back to his daughter who nodded up at him. "Alright, let's get some barbeque then."

 

They left the building and made their way to the familiar barbeque place.

 

"So, I didn't get a report on your date from yesterday."

 

"Oh, come on, can no one let this go?" Shizuka grumbled. "Hideyoshi is a Chūnin medic at the hospital. He was the one to heal Kaito's knee injury who then introduced him to me."

 

"I know who he is and how you met. That isn't relevant to the date." Shizuka sweatdropped at her father's nonchalant tone.

 

"We went to the curry place at the centre of the market district, we chatted for hours. He's nice, smart but boring. He's been in the medic corps so long he barely goes on missions. He's an only child, his parents are both civilians. His Genin team disbanded after they all became Chūnin." Shizuka listed off what they had talked about.

 

"Sounds boring. And the way home?"

 

"Tō-San…" Shizuka gave him a tiny zap to the arm before she shook her head and linked his arm with hers. "He walked with me to the main road but we lived in different directions from there, so we went our own way. Genma was also making his way home and he walked me home as it was in the same direction."

 

"There aren't any residence blocks past compound on the road, and he walked you  _through_ the compound."

 

Shizuka didn't answer as they had reached the restaurant. The father-daughter duo waved at the owner who greeted them cheerily before leading them to a table booth at the back.

 

"The usual for you two?"

 

"Hai, thank you." Shikaku smiled at the older Akimichi woman offered them cups with water and edamame to snack on before their food arrived.

 

"He's a good friend, we were talking about missions and our friends." Shizuka explained for what felt like the millionth time, popping some of the beans into her mouth.

 

"Just friends." Her father hummed as he sipped at his water, his gaze focused on his daughter. "A bit defensive."

 

"Because everything is poking at something that  _isn't_ there." Shizuka leaned her crossed arms on the table, "And if,  _if,_ there was why would it matter?"

 

"You tell me."

 

"I'm seventeen, Tō-San. All of my friends are older than me. Besides mini Ino-Shika-Chō everyone is older. Even Reiji who graduated after me is older than me by a month." Shizuka huffed as she watched her father.

 

"Genma is eight years older, you can at least see why that would be concerning."

 

"But there isn't anything there." Shizuka shook her head, already reaching her limits of this conversation. "Yeah, I enjoy our conversations, he's funny and he's smart enough to provide decent conversation material even if it isn't in his speciality zone."

 

"Alright." Shikaku leaned back as the plates of meat were put on the side.

 

He started laying out strips of meat on the barbeque and waited for Shizuka to stop gaping at him.

 

"You're really dropping this? Thought you'd continue the questioning." The younger Nara let her shoulders relax as she helped him prepare the food.

 

"You told me there's nothing there so I'll take your word for it." Shikaku returned to observing his daughter as she flipped the meat on the grill. "Though I expect to be told when that changes."

 

"What makes you think it's going to change?"

 

"You don't think he's boring."


	29. Duty

 

* * *

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

After months of planning, three teams had been assembled for the final takedown of the drug and human trafficking ring. The entire task force had been running for over a year, gathering information on the contacts, suppliers, buyers and more.

 

Unfortunately, they had never found a name on the 'middle man' who distributed orders and supervised the whole operation and the actual boss. However, after taking down most of the major warehouses they had the central base to go before they went after their allies and most prominent clients.

 

A downside of tackling it in this manner is that the central base probably suspected an attack, which meant the planning had to be done with surgical precision to ensure a successful wipeout.

 

Three teams comprised of ANBU were finally sent off to the final base. And due to her role in the task force, Shizuka's squad was selected, joining them was Yūgao's and Genma's squads. Ibiki was also involved as to simplify the process of questioning whomever thy captured.

 

Cat-Taichō led the squad as usual for the actual confrontation, but once it was time for the cleanup procedures and general investigation and compiling of information from the base Shizuka became the go-to for orders.

 

The confrontation was surprisingly dramatic, causing holes in one of the walls of the bunker, damaging some of the support pillars inside as well as general damage to the area around it.

 

But it was to be expected that the final base would have stronger opponents waiting on them. No one from the three squads came out intact, all of them sporting different shades of blacks and blues, covered in mud, blood, water and ash.

 

They had to sleep the first night outside so that they wouldn't have to fear the ceiling collapsing on them or the dangers of smoke inhalation. The next day, before the sun had fully appeared the shinobi with earth, water and wood release made their rounds ensuring the structure was safe to walk around in.

 

From that point on, while the members searched the rooms, Ibiki questioned the survivors and Shizuka moved between groups compiling the information and cross-referencing it to what they already had.

 

It took nearly two weeks for them to be completely done with everything, and with their prisoners secured they made their way back home.

 

And now, Shizuka had the great pleasure of writing the longest report she had ever written, summarising the entire task force and everything that they had found out from the final takedown. This report was to be given straight to the Hokage and her father who would review and decide what to do next.

 

Inoichi and Ibiki had briefed her on her return that she should include a recommendation on what to do next since she had a deeper understanding of this case than a simple report could convey.

 

And so she wrote that the task force should be scaled down and put on the backburner. There were no more ties into the Fire country, at least none that they could find or didn't already have a scheme in a plan to eliminate, this meant there was no imminent threat to them, however the whole operation set a precedent which meant they should be vigilant as to not let something similar grow to this scale.

 

She was so immersed in writing her recommendation that she didn't notice Ino enter the kitchen.

 

"So, Shizuka-Nee, I heard you went on another date yesterday." Ino's tone was expectant as she sat across from the Nara on the kitchen table. "Is it the same boy from before? Did you get a boyfriend?"

 

Shizuka put her pen down shuffled the paper to the side so that she could lean forward on her elbows, a smile tugging at her lips as Ino all but bounced in her seat.

 

"I went out with friends last night to celebrate the end of a long case." Shizuka grinned as Ino slumped in disappointment. "Shouldn't you be in the living room studying with Shika and Chōji?"

 

"Shika is sleeping and Chōji is just munching on chips. I've decided to take a break."

 

"Want me to get them to work?"

 

"I want you to tell me who Genma is."

 

' _Oh come on.'_ Shizuka's eyes twitched in annoyance.  _'Shika, you will regret that.'_

 

"Genma is a  _friend_ who I've worked with a couple of times. He lives close by so we often walk together." Shizuka leaned back and stretched her arms above her head before standing.

 

She walked to the living room and over to Shikamaru who was slumped over the small table in front of the sofa that seemed to be covered in papers and books.

 

Reaching out to his shoulder she gave him a light zap causing him to jump up and glare at her. Shizuka raised her eyebrow and nodded towards Ino who was settling back onto the floor.

 

"I said you went out, she assumed it was a date."

 

"And Genma?"

 

"He  _did_  walk you home again."

 

Rolling her eyes Shizuka tugged at his ponytail and snorted as he tried to slap her hand away, only to let go a moment later when a knock sounded at the door.

 

Opening the door revealed a bird-masked ANBU who quickly nodded at her in greeting.

 

"You've been summoned by Yamanaka Inoichi to his office for a meeting."

 

Shizuka nodded in understanding and the ANBU promptly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Closing the door and walking back inside she sat on the small step to put on her shoes.

 

"Shika, I've been summoned for a meeting at Intelligence. I'll be back later!"

 

"Hai!" His answering call was followed by Ino's and Chōji's goodbye.

 

* * *

 

The meeting had been a quick one, more of a mission debrief than anything else. The village had received some intel that there was a group of unidentified shinobi arriving at a town they had a watch in due to rumours of information selling.

 

They had never caught anything, but the mere mention of a security breach drove everyone in the administration and intelligence offices into a frenzy. So put a sleeper agent in the village and that was that.

 

Until now when there was a threat of foreign shinobi in the area which meant that if there was a security breach they needed it fixed immediately.

 

The young Nara barely remembered her run home. After sending her summons off to gather the team, she had collected the relevant information from Inoichi's desk and a stop into her office to collect other materials that she would need brief the others and for the mission itself. This meant she didn't have long left to actually get ready for a mission as she had been dressed for a casual day off.

 

She dumped her shoes hastily in the hall and didn't even spare the three soon to be graduates a look as she ran up to her room to get her ready-to-go mission pack. A quick grab into the closet she retrieved her usual outfit and she didn't even go to the bathroom and just changed in her room.

 

With everything in hand she went downstairs to the entrance hall where she sat down to put her shoes back on. As she finished pulling on her shoes Shikamaru, Chōji and Ino walked to the entrance hall from the living room.

 

"You have a mission? I thought you were doing some work with Intelligence inside the village." Shikamaru questioned as he and his friends watched her check the contents of her bag.

 

"Ah, yeah but we got this last-minute information, so they want my team to investigate." Shizuka shrugged as she sat on the small step to pull on her boots.

 

"Shizuka-Nee-San, will you at least make it for our graduation? We're going to the barbeque place like we did for yours." Ino asked as she watched the older girl finished getting ready to leave. "You did promise you'd be there."

 

"That I did, Ino. This mission shouldn't take more than two weeks without complications, so I'll try my best to be here by then. Tō-San should already know I'm leaving, but do let Ka-San know when she returns too. Good luck!" She smiled at the soon to be graduates and waved goodbye before making her way towards the gate.

 

"Emiko, Shun, Kaito, thank you for coming so quickly."

 

"You owe Masaru and me a dinner at the fancy Akimichi sushi place." Kaito grumbled as he adjusted the straps of his backpack. "Anyway, where are we off to?"

 

"Northeast we aren't leaving the Land of Fire but going close to our border with the Land of Hot Water." Shizuka replied as they checked out of the gates. "Usual formation, we'll be setting a fast pace as this is time sensitive. I'll brief you on the way."

 

"Hai." With that, the quartet fell into formation and launched into the trees.

 

* * *

 

Days later they arrived late afternoon to the small village close to the border and established a connection with the sleeper agent.

 

The woman had retired from her position as a Chūnin after an injury left her with permanent nerve damage in her right arm and leg. While not useless in a combat situation she had felt she would be of better use to the village if she was used as a sleeper and having no living connections in the leaf, she was given the task of monitoring the possible security breach.

 

The quartet split up during dinner to scout out the area before turning in for the night. The next morning Shizuka sent the other three off to investigate while she met with their contact.

 

None of the woman's information was new, as she had already read the biweekly reports. What  _was_  surprising was who else was present in the area.

 

Excusing herself from the bar Yuki worked in as a bartender she made her way to the edge of the village and disappeared around one of the hills that surrounded the town.

 

" **Kuchiyose no Jutsu!** Kei! Find Kaito, and tell him to let the others know I have a lead but need them to wait for me at the inn." Shizuka whispered to the dark grey racoon. (Summoning Jutsu)

 

"Hai, Shizuka-chan!" The summon quickly made its way back into the town.

 

' _As long as she sticks to alleys no one will care, Kaito should recognise her quickly.'_ Standing up Shizuka focused on the signatures she had felt brush the edge of her range.  _'Of all the times to_ _appear…'_

 

With a sigh, she launched towards where she felt the first group of shinobi were. It didn't take her long to find the small camp set up by the roots of a large tree. Settling into a little nook in the tree branches she waited for the shinobi to speak.

 

"Are we sure this is the place? There is nothing interesting about this town." Complained the first voice. "Why would Konoha put a sleeper agent here at all?"

 

"That's what we're here to find out, idiot." The second voice answered followed by a thumping sound. "Are we any closer at finding out  _who_ that shinobi is?"

 

"No." The third voice was sharp and this person did not elaborate any further.

 

"If there is a Konoha agent here then shouldn't they have called for support? If so more shinobi will arrive soon." The first person spoke up again, clearly agitated by their situation.

 

There were a few moments of silence before the third voice, the leader of the team probably, spoke again.

 

"They kill us, then the village will know they do have someone here, or at the least eyes here. If we find who those eyes are and escape alive we get the information."

 

"Speaking of killing, where the hell is Kazu? He was supposed to be back by now."

 

"You two stay here, I'll find him." The third person, a male, spoke as he stood before he disappeared in the opposite direction of where Shizuka was hidden and towards the second point she had sensed a signature from.

 

' _They are looking for the contact, not the possible leak.'_ With a sigh, Shizuka pulled the shadows to her and pulled herself away before running back to the inn.

 

"You're back." Emiko opened the door to their room revealing Kaito and Shun around the small table. "Kaito got you dumplings."

 

"And that is why he is my favourite teammate." Shizuka grinned as she plopped down next to the other team four-member, eagerly accepting the small box of her favourite food. "The foreign shinobi are from Kumo, I saw a group of three in camp and they mentioned they had a fourth member."

 

"I'd say going on your own was stupid, but I'll assume you thought about the risk." Kaito shook his head as he too opened a box of dumplings. "So, what did you find?"

 

"They are after Yuki-San, but if they find her they find the leak."

 

"Which means if we eliminate them, Kumo will suspect a truth to the issue and return. But if we allow them to go about their attempts we risk them finding out about the leak." Shun propped his chin on his clasped hands. "How will we proceed?"

 

"We have a third option." Shizuka sighed putting down her chopsticks and moved to her bag, pulling out a scroll. "We can find the leak and close the entire operation."

 

"Do we know where to even start with that?" Emiko's eyes widened as she leant forward to see what Shizuka unsealed from the scroll. "These documents?"

 

"Are my notes from Yuki-San's reports. This is everything we know about the leak." Shizuka sighed before flashing through the handsigns for the summoning jutsu again. " **Kuchiyose no Jutsu!** Jun, sorry for calling you again so soon. I need you to run a message to Konoha for me."

 

Jun was a bit larger than a common racoon and his fur was a dusty red, but despite his size and the impression his fur gave he was quite lean and was Shizuka's fastest summon. She rarely had to call on him other than when she had to get messages to people quickly. He also adored Kaito for whatever reason which made for great entertainment whenever they had to interact.

 

"Hai, Shizuka-chan! Kaito-San, hope all is well?" He crawled around Shizuka to huddle closer to Kaito's side earning himself a pat on the head from her teammate.

 

Letting Kaito deal with the cuddly summon Shizuka quickly wrote a message to Inoichi and the Hokage. She added in a comment to her father in her uncle's missive figuring he'd get involved with this anyways.

 

Looking up she saw Shun's amused lip twitch and Emiko was biting her lip trying not to laugh, with a glance at Kaito she noticed Jun had his head on Kaito's shoulder as he received a good head scratch.

 

"Alright, cuddling time is over, Masa would be jealous." Shizuka laughed as Kaito threw his chopsticks at her and she offered the scroll to Jun. "You may wait there for an answer."

 

"Hai. Kaito-San, Shizuka-Chan, friends." With a nod to each person, Jun jumped out the window of the room and quickly disappeared from their view.

 

"For now we stay low, we are tourists here. We will not contact Yuki-San unless absolutely necessary. We go about this with caution, do  _not_  draw attention to yourselves."

 

* * *

 

' _Well, this has gone to shit.'_ Shizuka groaned as she walked through the busy market pretending to look at vegetables. Looking around she met Kaito's eyes as he stood on the other side of the market stand looking at a fresh selection of fresh fruit.  _'A simple two-week mission is all I wanted, that obviously couldn't be allowed to happen.'_

 

' _Three Jōnin three o'clock from you.'_ She signed as she tapped on pepper she was looking at.  _'Send Shun after me. Find Emiko return to the inn.'_

 

Barely glancing at him to check if he had the info and put the peppers back on the stand thanking the vendor before she walked towards the Jōnin, allowing one of them to knock into her shoulder.

 

"Oh, I'm very sorry, sir." With a shallow bow of her head, she turned around and continued on her way as the man waved her off.  _'No sensors, they don't see me as a threat.'_

 

She continued on her way towards where she knew the Kumo nin had set up camp. Shun caught up to her on the way and with a quick exchange of signals, he broke away from her to find a hiding spot from where he could observe from.

 

No sooner had she glimpsed the camp and she knew exactly why they had called for backup.

 

"Kazu, he's a cold-blooded killer. There is no way Uchiha Itachi would have simply let you walk away." The person she recognised was voice number one said as she changed the bandages on her teammate's arm. "What would he be doing here of all places?"

 

"There must be something of interest! Why would a rogue ninja come close to the position of a sleeper agent?"

 

"To get information." The reply was immediate. "But it can't be about the sleeper agent, sleeper agent's don't tend to have the most updated information on a village and who knows how long this one has been here."

 

"Exactly! He either has an informant here or something else."

 

"Something like a leak, possibly."

 

' _Shit.'_ Shizuka stifled a groan.  _'Guess we have to eliminate them after all. But now we're outnumbered.'_

 

She felt one of Shun's kikaichū land on her finger and allowed it to crawl over her hand spelling a message.

 

' _Your orders?'_

 

Sighing she relayed her information to Shun: 'Eliminate these two. Spring an attack when the others return. Get Emiko and Kaito here now.'

 

With practised ease, Shizuka pulled herself through the shadows until she landed behind the trunk where her targets were resting. Counting down the seconds she heard Shun's bugs start buzzing, drawing the attention of the two shinobi hidden in the roots.

 

With their distractions, the Nara body flickered over to them and stabbed each with one of her tantōs, before she pushed their bodies towards a more hidden corner of their camp.

 

"Is Uchiha still in the area?" Came Shun's immediate question as he landed on the ground beside her.

 

"Not in my range, but I'll scout the area once we deal with the enemy. We just gave ourselves a tight schedule before the others return here."

 

"These were Chūnin but the backup team was definitely Jōnin. This team probably called for help when Itachi showed up."

 

"Probably why the fourth team member wasn't with them when you found them." He sent her a side look, "I'd expect you to be familiar with Uchiha's signature."

 

"I am, but I trained him how to hide when we were training together. While I've improved since then, I have no doubt he did too. Besides even if I did sense him, I wouldn't have any other option than retreat."

 

"Do you think he's here for the same reason we are?"

 

"The leak? Possibly, all the more reason for us to shut it down." Shizuka sighed as she turned to the approaching signatures. "The other two members of their team are arriving, Kaito and Emiko are on the way. So are the other three Jōnin."

 

"Let's end this quickly then."

 

Shizuka settled into the shadows of the roots and Shun retreated to a branch that had a clear view of the small camp. The first enemy arrived and went straight under the roots and into Shizuka's range.

 

"Michiaki, get back!" The second person yelled, already lunging forward to assist his comrade, but he was too late and Shizuka sprung from the shadow tantōs in hand, one sliding smoothly across Michiaki's throat while the other came up to block the second man's katana.

 

"Damn you, Konoha scum." The man spat before spinning around Shizuka's blade and jumping back to get some distance between them.

 

"Too late, you're surrounded." Shun's voice carried from where he stepped on the branch overhead

 

The man growled, his dark golden hair cut short with bangs covering his right eye. He gripped his katana harder before dashing towards Shizuka only to have her parry his strike with her blades crossed.

 

He clearly had the strength advantage over her as his arms started to push her down, but by now she wasn't very phased by the difference, and instead disengaged only to twist around him and strike at his back.

 

He spun to keep her in slightly to his side while keeping Shun in range of his peripheral vision. Too bad he did it because seconds later Kaito appeared from the direction he had his back, her teammate was quick to draw his own blade and take the open target.

 

"Thanks. Prepare, Jōnin incoming. Shun, Kaito you're front line now."

 

Kaito tossed the body of the fourth Chūnin to the side just as three Jōnin entered their line of sight.

 

"So Konoha did send someone after all." A tan woman with light orange hair spoke, twin katanas in hand. "Too bad you won't be a match for us."

 

"They are Kumo's top bounty hunter team, between the three of them they have all elements covered." Shizuka spoke calmly while keeping direct eye contact with the woman who had spoken. "Stick to the usual, don't let them out of your sight."

 

As soon as she finished speaking Shun launched a wave of kikaichū towards the enemy forcing them to scatter. With the enemies separated from each other, the four Konoha nin launched into their individual opponents, two enemies for Shizuka and Emiko and one for the boys.

 

Shizuka had to admit it wasn't a pretty fight, they were up against three Jōnin who clearly had their team strategies polished to perfection. They managed to hold their own decently but they got a myriad of cuts and bruises to show for their efforts.

 

The first enemy to fall was at the cost of some cracked ribs for Shizuka. While using her shadows to keep one opponent in place, the second jumped in to kick Shizuka away only to end up impaled on his comrade's blade due to Emiko's Mind Transfer Jutsu. Said Jōnin was then swiftly dispatched by Shun's kikaichū as soon as Emiko returned to her body.

 

The last standing Jōnin was the orange haired woman who was now rather furious at her two comrades. She charged her two blades with lightning chakra and dashed forward to strike at Shun who prepared to draw the blade strapped to his back.

 

Knowing he wouldn't hold off too well against a lightning charged blade, Shizuka ignored her throbbing torso and locked her own lightning charged blades with those of the older woman.

 

Kaito immediately backed her up and between the two of them, they pushed the woman back a few metres.

 

That is when she heard the first explosion.

 

Emiko and Shun immediately moved forward allowing her to fall behind them, her senses flaring to locate the source of the sound.

 

' _Shit, Yuki-San has been captured. Of course, they had a fourth Jōnin on this team.'_ Shizuka glanced over to Kaito's fight with the woman and between the other two members of her team.

 

"You guys need to handle this, I'll pursue the other one."

 

"I can follow." Shun glanced over his shoulder at her briefly as she prepared to leave the sight.

 

"No." Shizuka ran through her options, "They are moving fast unless you're faster than what you've let on, you can't keep up. Besides, this woman is skilled, Kaito will need support."

 

"But you-"

 

"I'll be chasing the other Jōnin, you have the time to finish this and catch up while I engage him. Kaito is the fastest, so make sure he's in good condition to back me up."

 

"We can take this woman and Kaito can go with you."

 

"This woman is very skilled at Kenjutsu, neither of you two is specialised in close range, Kaito is your best shot right now." Shizuka quickly shot down the option. "I'm counting on you two to send Kaito after me once you defeat the woman. Good luck."

 

Shizuka gave them a second to nod their understanding of their orders before she launched into the tree. She heard the sound of deflected projectiles at her back and knowing her comrades had her covered she launched the pursuit of their last opponent.

 

As she ran Shizuka ran through all her options to engage the runaway. Yuki-San was alive, judging by her smooth chakra signature, but probably unconscious. She was confident that if she got the woman out of the enemy's hands she could protect herself enough that Shizuka could focus on her opponent without worrying too much about covering her.

 

She also had the option of sending the woman back to her village or to run back to meet her teammates where she would have protection and be away from the enemy.

 

The option was taken out of her hand just over an hour later as she finally caught a glimpse of the woman over the enemy's shoulder.

 

' _That's a lot of blood.'_ Shizuka cursed and pushed her legs to move just a bit faster.

 

The man clearly noticed her gaining ground as he threw kunai with explosive tags backwards to throw her off course.

 

Dodging to the side she cursed as the man had already thrown a kunai in that direction too, having anticipated her move.

 

Letting herself fall under a branch instead of jumping on it, she attached her shadow to the underside of it so that she could use it to move away.

 

' _Dammit, he's speeding up. I can't go any faster.'_ Pulling out her own explosive tags and kunai she planned where she was going to throw them.

 

From behind her target, she had to aim ahead of him, and that meant throwing it into her own path too. She had to be careful with her throws or else she would just injure herself.

 

Knowing this she launched two plain kunai forcing the man to dodge to the side before launching two tagged kunai as far ahead as she could with the help of wind chakra.

 

Keeping track of where the first one landed she counted the seconds it took for the man to reach that far ahead, before activating the tag just as the man was about to land on the tree she had hit.

 

"Shit!" The man lost his balance and was forced to flip mid-air to keep running, only to be forced to dodge the second explosion from a kunai that had landed to the tree just next to it.

 

The two explosions were useful for two reasons. The first one being that they would help her teammates find her and the second was that she gained the ground she needed to launch her next attack.

 

No sooner had the man landed on a new branch, Shizuka was already up behind him grabbing at Yuki's torso. With a knee to the centre of the man's back, she dragged Yuki down to the branch as the man stumbled ahead.

 

Not waiting for him to recover, Shizuka secured Yuki's arm over her shoulder and body flickered to another tree, putting some distance between her and the Kuno shinobi.

 

Normally, Shizuka avoided these types of situations where she needed to protect someone or something alone against an opponent. It put a severe limitation on what she could do, in this case, the person she had to protect was injured and unconscious so she couldn't just tell Yuki to run.

 

Hopefully, Kaito would be on his way by now, an hour should have been enough for him to beat his opponent, especially if he knew she would be needing backup.

 

Clearing her mind of what could possibly be happening on that end, she had to focus on her current predicament.

 

"I must admit you're fast, girlie." The scar that ran across the man's cheek pulled into a disconcerting extension of his smirk. "But this doesn't look too good for you."

 

Shizuka grit her teeth and pulled her tantōs, putting herself in front of Yuki so that the woman's slumped form was covered by her. Flashing handsigns she summoned Seto, a nearly all-white racoon that stood at about her size.

 

The man in front glared at the summon who merely blinked at him before moving to stand guard in front of Yuki-San. With that out of the way, she just needed to focus on the fight.

 

' _I'm going to have to give the racoons so many riddles and lessons for all the summoning I've been doing...'_ Shizuka sighed at the thought of her contract with the racoons.

 

When she first summoned the creatures she was very nearly overwhelmed by the number of questions she had received. The woodland creatures loved riddles and puzzles and learning, though they didn't have a large attention span, which often frustrated Shizuka, they were clever and useful in tight spots so she couldn't complain much.

 

Their deal was that for every time she summoned she had to spend an hour teaching them something, or giving them puzzles and riddles to solve. In all honesty, she didn't mind her side of the deal, and it was better than having to hunt for insects to feed her summons as Masaru had to do for his bats.

 

With another shake of her head, she launched forward as the man pulled the naginata from his back to block her blades.

 

"Seto, get away from here, meet up with Kaito. He'll know what to do, find me after."

 

Just as opponent launched kunai with explosive tags after her summon, she flew through handsigns for a wind jutsu to knock them off course.

 

As the explosion shockwaves blew past, jumped to a higher branch to take cover behind the trunk of a tree.

 

The man made to pursue them, but Shizuka quickly put herself in his path, blades heavy with chakra leaving a deep scratch on the naginata where it connected.

 

The man scowled and kicked at her legs, forcing her to jump away. Shizuka knew he would try to end her quickly to run after Yuki and Seto, so she knew she just had to keep him busy for as long as she could.

 

Unfortunately for her, the man was in better shape. She had already been fighting against his teammates before, and she was injured. In addition to that, the man was physically stronger than her, and she could feel the reverberation of his attacks through her arms, forcing her to strain them just a bit more than usual.

 

She was forced to defend, keeping both blades in hand, and with the man's fast strikes, she didn't have the time to weave the handsigns for a jutsu.

 

She could feel her movements slowing down, her reactions just milliseconds slower than what they usually were and that ended up costing her greatly.

 

In a matter of seconds, Shizuka was forced to deflect several blows to her injured side and caught the man's blade with both of hers, leaving her left side exposed.

 

She let out a groan as the man landed a kick to the left side of her rib cage which sent her flying backwards and into the trunk of a tree. Her eyes widened as the man kicked at her wrist sending her tantō to the forest floor and rolled to avoid a stab to the chest.

 

She wasn't fast enough it seemed as she felt the searing pain of the lightning infused blade against her side and felt the blood drip down her torso.

 

Gritting her teeth she dropped her other tantō in favour of weaving handsigns as the man rushed at her to finish her off.

 

' _Ah, he hasn't realised I'm a Nara. Should have kept my hands busy, idiot.'_ Shizuka launched her shadow forward just as the man entered her range.

 

 **"Kage Nui no Jutsu."** (Art of Shadow Stitching)

 

Her opponent's gold eyes barely had time to widen as black tendrils of shadows moved to pierce his body at several vital points. His body slumped, only being held up by the shadows.

 

Slumping back so that her head rested on the tree behind her she spread her senses letting out a relieved sigh as she felt Kaito enter her range and Seto's signature closing in on his position.

 

Taking a moment to take stock of her body she then stood and walked over to the dead Kumo ninja, efficiently sealing him into a body scroll and putting it back into the pouch she had on her waist.

 

Once that was done she moved to lean back against the tree, keeping her senses open for any approaching signature. Once locating Seto she could have focused on him, but instead, she changed her focus to another nearby signature.

 

' _Please don't interfere…'_ She sighed as she felt the signature 'brush' against hers,  _'So you know I'm here then…'_

 

She closed her eyes for a moment, paying attention to the movement of the familiar signature, but he didn't seem to be moving. She didn't realise she had spent so long observing because she inhaled sharply when she heard Seto's approach.

 

"Shizuka-chan are you alright?" Seto landed on her branch and looked her over, his frame towering over her form.

 

"I could be better, but I'll be alright once we reach safety."

 

"Climb on my back, you need to rest." Seto turned his back and crouched to allow Shizuka to pull herself on the summon's back. "Rest, I'll wake you when we arrive."

 

Shizuka hummed as she buried her head in the scruff of the racoon's neck, her eyes drooping as she made herself comfortable.

 

To her, it seemed as if she had just closed her eyes before she blinked her eyes open once more. Though it had clearly been longer than that as she now stood near the gates to a town at the border of the Land of Hot Springs.

 

"Would you like me to take you to Kaito-kun?" Seto asked as she slid off his back, wincing as she noticed the blood covering his light fur. The large racoon sighed as he noticed what she was looking at. "Worry not about that, Shizuka-chan, just go get healed."

 

"Thank you, Seto." Shizuka reached out with her left arm so that she could scratch the top of his snout and between his eyes. "You may go now, I can sense Kaito's location from here."

 

The racoon nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke as she turned to the entrance of the small little town Kaito had retreated to.

 

Finding her teammate was easy as he had settled into a hotel in the outskirt of the town to avoid drawing attention. Mentally thanking him for his decision she managed to navigate the back streets without encountering anyone.

 

' _The sound of explosions would already draw attention, the sight of a bleeding shinobi would only make it worse.'_ As she reached the back of the inn Kaito had picked she wrinkled her nose at the rundown appearance but knew she couldn't complain considering they were supposed to keep a low profile.

 

She stood in the cover of the trees for a few moments and sure enough, Kaito's head appeared at one of the windows, his eyes immediately zoning in on her location before he leaned inside and opened the window a bit more.

 

Landing inside she focused on Yuki's still unconscious form on the bed and then proceeded to scan over Kaito for any injuries.

 

"I'm fine, Zuka." Kaito reached out to her and pulled her into his side. "Better than you, judging by the amount of blood on your person."

 

"Yeah, by ribs took a beating. Got knicked in the side by a lightning-infused blade too." Shizuka sighed as Kaito took a step back to prod gently at her side. "Let me clean up and get it wrapped. Is Yuki-San alright?"

 

"Hai, she had a cut on her head, arm and thigh but I've cleaned and bandaged those already. Let me know if you need help with your ribs."

 

Shizuka offered him a smile and squeezed his arm before she moved to the small bathroom attached to the room. She didn't have any extra clothes on her person, which was slightly annoying considering her shirt, jacket and vest had been cut through, but she did have a basic first aid kit sealed in her pouch so that she could tend to her wound.

 

Stepping carefully into the shower she took extra care with her side that still throbbed, but clenching her teeth she pushed through until she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off, wincing as she passed over her ribcage.

 

"Kaito, would you mind lending me your mesh shirt? Mine is destroyed." Shizuka called quietly to the room through the small crack of the door she opened.

 

"Hai, do you need help with the bandages?"

 

"That would be nice, it kind of hurts to move torso right now." Shizuka sighed as she looked in the mirror to see her wound. "Just let me cover up first."

 

The blade had nicked her in the side, luckily it hadn't been deep enough to pierce her lungs but it was enough to cause her to lose enough blood to feel queasy. Not to mention the obvious signs of lightning zigzagging across her skin leaving it an angry red.

 

She looked at her blood-soaked sports bra and opted instead for wrapping her chest with bandages before calling Kaito into the bathroom.

 

"Damn, that looks awful." Kaito winced sympathetically as he offered her his under armour mesh shirt. "It will be large on you but it'll have to do. Where's your first aid kit?"

 

"Sink." Shizuka nodded towards the sink counter and sat on the toilet sideways as Kaito kneeled at her side.

 

"Remember when we asked Kouta-Sensei to help us with more advanced first aid?"

 

"How could I forget? It was after the mountain lion mission." Shizuka smiled as Kaitio attempted to distract her as he applied the healing salve her clan produced. "Do you need to restock on anything?"

 

"I used the last of my salve on Yuki-San, so I'll be sure to stop by your house when we get back."

 

"I'll put the order in then." Shizuka smiled as Kaito stood to get the bandages on the counter.

 

She sat silently as he wrapped the bandages and thanked him as he helped her stand up.

 

"Need help with the shirt?"

 

"Yeah, I don't think I can raise either arm just yet." Shizuka groaned as she moved her shoulders to test out the movement.

 

"Alright, let's get you to bed."

 

Kaito laughed as he helped manoeuvre herself into the shirt. It was rather large on her but it turned out to be convenient as it made slipping it on a bit easier.

 

"Ah, tomorrow, do you think we could stop at the market on the way back? I need to buy some gifts."

 

Kaito gave her a deadpan look but sighed and nodded at her pleading eyes.

 

"Fine, but we need to be quick. I sent a summon to Emiko and Shun letting them know we would be back around lunchtime while you were in the shower."

 

"That might be a tight time frame with mine and Yuki-san's injuries."

 

"I think we should be okay, though it might be after lunch with your little stop."

 

"I'll go first thing in the morning! I already know what I'm going to get!"

 

"Sleep, Zuka, we'll figure it out tomorrow." Kaito ruffled her hair and moved to sit by the window to keep watch over the two sleeping women.

 

* * *

 

The way back took more time due to their injuries but had otherwise been an easy return and they had indeed made it back early afternoon.

 

They met with Shun and Emiko back at the inn briefing the two as Yuki showered and changed into some clothes Emiko had gathered from her home.

 

"What are we going to do then? Yuki-san's cover is blown, it would be best if she stayed hidden until we clear everything up." Emiko questioned as they sat around the table in the girl's room.

 

"Kaito, you and I will have one last look around the village. We gather everything we can today and tomorrow, and leave first thing the day after that." Shizuka explained, her eyes darting out the window observing the sun's position in the sky. "Shun, stay here with Yuki-San, I'll rest tomorrow so don't argue with me, but I need to focus on something or else I'll drive you all insane later."

 

Her team sighed but didn't argue, though Kaito sent them a look saying he'll stay close to the youngest member of their team to keep her out of trouble.

 

Shizuka and Kaito agreed to pose as a couple in the market district while Emiko would start in a different area of the town. After putting clean clothes on they went into the bustling streets.

 

It was an hour later just as the pair settled into a booth at a tea house for something to eat that they heard the first real lead they had.

 

"So, is it true they get these supplies from a regular shipment from Konoha? None of them ever leave town, how do they know anyone from there anyway?"

 

Kaito and Shizuka froze from where they sat reading the menu and shot each other a suspicious look.

 

"Maybe someone from there came here? You heard the explosion, ninjas were in the area."

 

"No the stocks were low, they haven't received anything new recently. Besides, why would ninja escort a shipment of simple ornaments?"

 

The two men continued their conversation, although their voices were quiet the two shinobi in the booth behind theirs had been amplifying their senses in hopes of catching some type of information.

 

Kaito and Shizuka continued listening to the men talk, they had ended up shifting topics soon after to other rumours floating around town. As they heard the two move to stand the pair shared a nod and ordered their bill.

 

"An ornament shop, really?" Shizuka sighed as they stood up to walk towards the ornament shop they assumed was the one the men had talked about.

 

"It's always the unassuming ones." Kaito linked their arms together and smiled as a group of older ladies cooed at them. "Creepy."

 

Shizuka huffed out a laugh as they turned onto the main street only to freeze in place as something moved into the alley next to the shop they were heading to.

 

"Zuka, you alright? Is your side hurting?" Kaito was quick to step in front of her, his hands resting on her upper arms. "Zuka!"

 

"Hai, no." Shizuka shook her head. "I'm alright, I just can't laugh without it hurting so it took me by surprise."

 

"Okay…" Kaito stepped aside and turned so that they could walk into the shop.

 

Shizuka nudged her shoulder against his to reassure him and looked across the small shop to the worker at the counter when the bell over the door rang.

 

They looked over the ornaments across the shop until one thing caught Shizuka's attention. Between a couple of ceramic vases were small wooden carved figurines. A glance around the shop revealed that these were the only wooden ornaments they had.

 

The figurines were small fitting easily into her hand but had delicate details carved into the smooth medium dark brown wood. Each was carved into the shape of a different animal or had a drawing of different flowers scratched onto a smooth surface.

 

"Excuse me, this wood, it's very fragrant. I've never seen anything like it." Shizuka smiled at the woman working the counter who tilted her head at the question but didn't move to see what the Nara was holding.

 

"Oh, I'm not sure, I would have to ask the boss." The woman then moved towards the door that probably leads into the stock room. "I could ask him now if you wish?"

 

"Yes, please." Shizuka smiled sweetly as the woman moved out of the front store room. "Kaito, go hunt them down, just the boss and the girl. This is wood from the Nara forest, and I've never heard of this shop."

 

"Hai." Kaito followed the woman quickly while Shizuka flipped the shop sign to 'closed'.

 

Following behind her teammate calmly, she heard the sound of a falling body and curses. She arrived in the storeroom to see boxed tipped over and two slumped bodies with senbon stuck into their necks.

 

"No troubles here then?"

 

"Nope. Good spot with the wood."

 

"Ah, well I did grow up around it." Shizuka shrugged as she thumbed the small wooden lynx figurine. "They could be reselling, but even then we should know."

 

"Hm, we'll need to seal everything up and we have two gifts for T&I."

 

"I'll go get Emiko, I'll also send Shun and Yuki to come help, it'll be faster that way. We'll head home tomorrow."

 

"I'll keep an eye around here and start on the sealing." He pulled out a small scroll from his pouch. "Do we have enough storage scrolls?"

 

"I should have some in my pack. I'll bring those back with me."

 

Kaito nodded and proceeded to drag the slumped bodies to a corner so that he could keep an eye on them while working. Shizuka left right after to fetch the rest of her team.

 

Before leaving the street she gave the dark alley a look over but finding nothing she went ahead with her tasks.

 

"Emiko, go find Kaito and help him out at the shop. The leak has been neutralised on this end." It was easy to find Emiko as she had been closing in on the end of her section close to the market district.

 

"Hai, how did you find it?" Emiko let out a relieved sigh as she fell into step with Shizuka.

 

"We heard a rumour and checked it out. Kaito can explain when you get there, I'm going to get the others. The sooner we finish this the better."

 

Emiko nodded and turned to the direction Kaito was located, while Shizuka returned to their inn to get Shun and Yuki.

 

"Shun, Yuki-San, I'm back." Shizuka called as she slid into the girl's room finding the two playing a game of cards. "We found the leak on this end, its been taken care of, but we have some clean up to do."

 

"I can help if you'd like? But I'd need to borrow a storage scroll." Yuki offered as she looked up.

 

"That would be appreciated, thank you." Shizuka smiled as she reached into her pack and retrieved two scrolls passing one to Yuki. "Once we're done one of us can help you gather anything you need from your house, I don't think you'll be staying here."

 

The trio then made their way back to the ornament shop. Yuki and Shun went to the backroom to help there as most of the good were there while only a few were displayed at the front of the shop.

 

It took the five of them just over an hour to seal everything up and then have a look around the attached apartment on top to ensure everything had been stored.

 

The team went through the process of cleanup smoothly and Kaito left two lemur summons watching their prisoners in the back room to not risk any of the civilians in the area hearing about it.

 

"It was right under our noses the entire time!" Kaito grumbled as he rolled his shoulder once they finally left the shop.

 

"And the wood figurines, how did you spot those?" Emiko laughed as she nudged Shizuka's shoulder.

 

"They out of place amongst everything else so they caught my attention." Shizuka shrugged her hand moving to her pocket where one figurine rested as the team chuckled at her nonchalant answer.

 

"Yuki-San, we could go to your former house now, if you'd like?" Emiko offered as their laughter died down.

 

"Yes, that would be ideal, thank you." Yuki smiled at the younger shinobi. "Goodnight, boys, Shizuka-chan we'll try not to wake you."

 

"Thank you." The remaining three shinobi waved them off as they went inside the inn and towards their rooms.

 

"Goodnight, Zuka. If you need help with the wrapping just let me know." Kaito gave her shoulder a pat as he entered his room, Shun nodded at her and followed him inside.

 

"Hai, thank you. Goodnight boys." She smiled at them as she walked into the room she would be sharing with Emiko and Yuki for their last night in town and went straight towards the bathroom for a shower.

 

She took her time because of her injuries and after applying an ointment she had in her pack and rewrapping her ribs she went to lie down in bed only to startle at the sight of her pillow.

 

A black feather and a folded piece of paper lay right in the middle of her pillow. She grabbed the items and moved to the window scanning the town for a specific signature only to come up blank.

 

Opening the folded piece of paper she snorted and shook her head before placing the feather inside the voucher and putting it in the inside pocket of her vest.

 

' _I accept your apology.'_ Shizuka sighed happily as she snuggled under the covers.  _'It is my favourite dumpling restaurant after all.'_

 

* * *

 

Back in Konoha the recently graduated generation of Ino-Shika-Chō and their families had gathered at their usual barbeque restaurant for a celebratory dinner.

 

The three Genin smiled and laughed as they chatted away in their booth at the back of the restaurant, but they were slightly sad that one particular person wasn't present.

 

"Is Shizuka not joining us for dinner?" Miku Akimichi finally asked as they all waited for the meat to be brought out.

 

"She was sent out on a mission three weeks ago and hasn't returned yet." Shikaku answered, catching the attention of the recent graduates.

 

"She said it wasn't supposed to be longer than two weeks." Ino stated, her eyes reflecting her disappointment.

 

"Sometimes missions go on for longer than what is estimated, missions where you are gathering information have the added time of making sure the information is good." Inoichi shrugged, "Do you think she'll be willing to finish off her time at Intel? I could use an extra set of eyes for some of the smaller cases."

 

"She'll probably accept, she's been enjoying her time in village more than usual lately." Yoshino smiled, sharing a teasing look with Miku and Akira who smiled brightly.

 

"So, little Shizuka has found herself a boyfriend?" Yamanaka Akira gushed, the three women snickering at Shikaku's scowl.

 

"So she  _does_  have a boyfriend?! Why hasn't she told me anything?" Ino shifted closer to her mother, "Well, who is he? Is it-"

 

"Now, now. This night is about you becoming Genin, not my love life." They heard a voice from just outside their booth.

 

All eyes focused on her, thus making them miss Shikaku's large gulp of sake and Shikamaru's wrinkled nose.

 

"You're here!" Ino exclaimed happily, as Shizuka slowly lowered herself to sit at her father's side, at the edge of the booth.

 

"I did promise, Ino-Chan." Shizuka teased as she pulled three scrolls from her pack. "I've brought gifts to celebrate your new rank. Snacks for Chōji, a bottle of the imported shampoo I use that Ino always asks for and a new strategy game for Shika."

 

"Thank you, Nee-San!" The three chorused, bringing amused smiles to the adults' faces.

 

Shizuka smiled back and melted into her seat once they looked away to talk about the other teams. She shifted around in her seat stifling a wince as she jostled some of her wounds.

 

"Did you just get back?" Chōza asked as he watched her carefully, having noticed her stiff posture.

 

"I came straight from the Hokage tower." She smiled sheepishly, ignoring her mother's pointed stare, feeling glad that her father was sitting between them.

 

"Anything you want to tell us?" Her mother asked slowly, her tone with the barest hint of a threat.

 

"I-" Shizuka started speaking but as her mother's expression morphed into a glare she slumped and relented, "I'll go for a checkup after this."

 

"Since when do you dislike the hospital?" Chōza raised his eyebrows in surprise at her reaction.

 

"Since she went out with a medic-nin who now has a little crush on her." Yoshino grinned as the women cooed and the others held in their snorts as Shizuka's expression melted into a pout.

 

"You can't forget that Asami-San has caught on to her team's attempts at setting her up with Kouta-San so she's been  _intense_ , whenever one of the three shows up on her shifts."

 

The group laughed as Shizuka slumped into her father's side until their food arrived. They ordered an extra portion for her as she had arrived late and started eating exchanging small talk, much like the time she had graduated.

 

* * *

 

After dinner, the three families left the restaurant to their own homes. Yoshino and Shikamaru went home while Shikaku went with Shizuka to the hospital to have her wounds tended to.

 

The father-daughter duo walked together towards the hospital slowly as Shizuka was starting to feel the effect of her mission.

 

"So, is there a particular reason ANBU is on alert right now?" Shizuka glanced up at her father with an expectant look as she felt  _another_  ANBU on standby.

 

"We had a little issue with security." Her father replied his lip twitching, into a smile or a frown she couldn't really tell. "Issue has been solved, they are just on alert because it's only been a few hours since."

 

Shizuka watched him for another moment as he looked ahead. Figuring that he wouldn't elaborate she shrugged and proceeded to watch the quiet street they were walking through.

 

The streets were silent and not as full as they would be on a regular night, she could only assume it was because of the breach. Making a note to ask Masaru whenever she met up with him she moved on to the next relevant topic.

 

"There was a security breach, kind of. The village had a contact that received information from inside the village and then sold that to anyone who would listen." Shizuka sighed as she felt her father tense, "Contact has been disposed and we have some names to follow up, but the sleeper agent cover was blown."

 

"Troublesome." Shikaku pinched the bridge of his nose before looking down at his daughter. "And your injuries?"

 

"Kumo. Two teams, a Chūnin team sent to investigate the rumour of a leak and a Jōnin team for backup."

 

"Backup? Your team got found out? Why didn't your message say so?" Shikaku's tone held a bit of a surprise.

 

"Nope, Uchiha Itachi injured one of the Chūnin who called for backup."

 

"Shizuka…" His tone took on a slightly warning tone and his voice lowered to a whisper. "You're going to have to write one hell of a report."

 

"He didn't interfere at all, he was in the area and injured the Chūnin who assumed he was there for the leak." Shizuka whispered as they entered the street to the hospital. "I can't say I didn't sense him, but I definitely didn't confront him. I'm not stupid."

 

"What happened then, if you weren't found out how did the fight break out."

 

"We were lucky, took them down in smaller units, but one Jōnin captured Yuki-San and I pursued. I already had cracked ribs and in the last confrontation I got stabbed with a lightning infused blade."

 

"You pursued alone? Knowing a dangerous missing nin was in the area? You should know better."

 

"I was the only one able to keep up." Shizuka explained as her father gestured for a medic nin to check her over. "I just-"

 

"I heard that you would be stopping by." Asami interrupted as she approached the duo from behind Shizuka.

 

The young Nara didn't have to turn to know the woman had a scowl on her face.

 

"Your team came in a few hours ago and kindly informed what your injuries were. Get in the room, I'll have a look."

 

"But-"

 

"Get. In. The. Room." Asami started herding her into one of the checkup rooms, and Shizuka only sent her father a look when he sat in a chair in the little waiting hall.

 

"You better have your wound wrapped properly at least." Asami called as she bustled to the counter to fetch the materials she would need, allowing Shizuka to remove her vest and expose the wrapped bandages.

 

"Yes, Asami-San." Settling into the checkup bed she let her legs dangle off the edge. "Have you seen Kouta-Sensei lately?"

 

"As if you don't know." Asami gumbled as she loosened the bandages to see what she was working with.

 

"Know what?" Shizuka's eyes widened and she grinned over her shoulder at Asami placed her hands on her back, the soothing healing chakra seeping into her body. "Did he ask you out?"

 

"I'm not talking about this with you."

 

"We didn't tell him to ask you out! If he did it was all his idea!" Shizuka defended, glancing over her shoulder as she watched Asami focus on her ribs. "We've only set up for you to run into each other, I promise."

 

"And that is meddling enough." Asami pinched the back of her arm before she moved around the bed to have better access to the stab wound.

 

A few minutes if silence passed as the blond continued her job and Shizuka allowed the medic to work.

 

"This might be a bother for a few days. It'll definitely scar."

 

"I figured. And my ribs?"

 

"Broken, I've healed them but they are still bruised." Asami gave her head a pat as the girl frowned. "Chakra bothering you?"

 

"Sensitivity sucks." Shizuka sniffed as the healing chakra faded. "It's more the feeling of foreign chakra in my body that throws me off, its disorienting."

 

"Any nausea?"

 

"No more than the usual when healing."

 

"Alright, I've healed the most of it, no training for the next few days. I'll give you some medication for pain to get you through the next few days. Feel free to start  _light_  training when those are done."

 

Asami explained as she helped Shizuka wrap her torso in new bandages before moving back to the counter. As she collected the medication she had mentioned Shizuka went about putting her shirt and vest back on.

 

"Here you go." Handing the Tokujō the pills she watched as the girl put them in a pocket in her vest. "Take it easy, alright? And that doesn't mean you should have time to meddle with your Sensei's personal life."

 

"Thank you, Asami-San. Goodnight." Shizuka smiled and bowed her head at the woman as she left the room before walking towards her father who seemed to be sleeping in the hospital chair. "Tō-San, I'm done, let's go home."

 

"Hai." Shikaku sighed as he stood from the uncomfortable chair before wrapping an arm around his daughter's shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. "Next time, hospital first, social event later."

 

"But Shika-"

 

"Would have understood." He gave her another squeeze before dropping his arm from her shoulders and linking it with her own arm. "Now, tomorrow I want you to go to the Hokage's office with me and you will give a detailed oral report so that we can get started on the investigation before your written report."

 

"Alright, I'm assuming you'll call in Inoichi-Oji and Ibiki-San?" She asked as they walked outside into the fresh air.

 

"Hai, you won't be able to sleep in even if it is a day off, so I'll be sure to wake you, but you can head home after that, I'm sure Inoichi won't have any urgent news for you."

 

"What will happen then?"

 

"If there is a mole in the village this will be kept very quiet, we will have to reevaluate a couple of events and so on depending on what we find. A task force might be launched depending on the scale."

 

"So a nightmare for administration and intelligence."

 

"Pretty much." Shikaku shrugged, it wasn't a first for him and it was unlikely to be the last so he knew not to make assumptions just yet. "About your other  _guest appearance_ , did he have any contact with anyone in the village?"

 

"No, if he did it was before we arrived." Shizuka said slowly, her eyes and tongue feeling heavy.

 

"Alright, I'll have more questions tomorrow, but you're starting to slur your words so the medication is probably kicking in." Shikaku's lips twitched into a smile as Shizuka leaned her head on his arm after tripping over her feet. "Come on, little fawn, we're almost home."

 

"You haven't called me that in years." Shizuka mumbled as she allowed her father to guide her towards their house, using his arm to steady herself.

 

Shikaku hummed as he felt Shizuka lean more of her weight on to his side, letting the rest of their walk continue to the fading sounds from the village nightlife.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the rookies have graduated! More canon characters will start appearing and the storyline will bleed through. But remember, Shizuka isn't meant to be someone that will change everything, she will have influence in some parts and some things will change because she hadn't been there in canon.
> 
> Here's a question for you: What canon event are you most looking forward to seeing from her perspective?


	30. Gossip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Still only one correct guess on the mask. Remember this is the last week you will have to guess as the answer will be revealed at the end of the next chapter.
> 
> The question of the week:
> 
> What would be one event you'd be interested in seeing Shizuka interfere with directly?
> 
> Thanks! And enjoy the chapter!
> 
> xx

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

Shizuka walked into the flat after being let in by Aoba who greeted her cheerily and gestured to the kitchen for when she wanted to get a drink and then disappeared into the small crowd of people.

 

She had already met a lot of Raidō's friends as it turned out he was quite close to Genma, Hayate and their friends. This meant that she luckily knew quite a few people at the party.

 

She had spent the start of it talking with Yūgao and Hayate before she was dragged off by Raidō to be introduced to his Genin teammates.

 

"Asuma-San, nice to see you again." Shizuka greeted the man who was sat on the couch beside a pretty woman with black hair and red eyes.

 

"Ah, Shizuka-chan, good to see you again." The Sarutobi then turned to the woman and gestured to her. "Kurenai, this is Nara Shizuka, Shikamaru's sister. Shizuka this is Yūhi Kurenai."

 

"Nice to meet you, Shizuka-chan." Kurenai extended a hand which she shook.

 

"You too." Shizuka smiled and was about to continue the conversation before Raidō interrupted.

 

"You already knew Asuma? That's no fun..."

 

"He's my little brother's sensei."

 

"Is there anyone in this party you haven't met?"

 

"Uh…"

 

"Come on, next group."

 

Shizuka waved at the two Jōnin on the couch and was promptly dragged off by the birthday boy to be introduced to some Jōnin she had never met but vaguely recognized from the ANBU headquarters.

 

After being on Raidō's ANBU squad and being the youngest by a good couple of years she was 'adopted' as their little sister. The team teased her about her dates, trained with her and invited her out whenever they were off duty.

 

It always amused Shizuka that ANBU had the reputation of being stone cold assassins and yet she knew some of them were friendly and even funny when off duty. And therefore going out to watch said friendly assassins become drunk was definitely one of her hobbies.

 

After escaping Raidō's clutches she faded into the small crowd in the apartment and ended up running into some familiar faces. She found Aoba, Ibiki, Anko and Tonbo sitting together in the corner of the living room drinking and chatting while observing the party around them.

 

"Tiny! You made it!" Anko cheered as she pulled the shorter girl by the elbow towards where they were sitting.

 

"Hai, I got back early afternoon from my mission."

 

"Report in tomorrow at my office, that task force has been given priority."

 

"Shhh! Ibiki no work talk." Anko shushed him earning herself a narrow-eyed glare from the man who was still in his usual long black trench coat and uniform.

 

"Will do, now if you don't mind I'm going to get some fresh air."

 

"Still getting your senses overwhelmed?" Aoba pushed his glasses up his nose and leaned forward, "I thought we got past that."

 

"Well, being drunk loosens their control over their chakra and I am already tired from my mission, so my mental barrier could be better."

 

"You should probably work on that." Tonbo hummed thoughtfully before nodding over to Aoba, "We can work with you on your resistance at low energy levels sometime."

 

"That would be great, thank you. Now, excuse me." Shizuka smiled and snickered as Anko tried to hug her around the waist to keep her close.

 

"But Tiny, I miss you! I miss my experiment partner." She pouted and was then distracted by Aoba offering her a pocky stick while Tombo nodded towards the balcony discreetly while mouthing the words 'We have you covered.'.

 

Brushing her senses with his and Aoba's to convey her appreciation she slid open the glass door to the balcony and slipped outside. Leaning against the railing of the balcony she took a moment to watch and listen to the bustling of the street below and the party inside.

 

She was only alone for a few minutes before a familiar presence joined her.

 

"Nibbles! How is my favourite woodland creature?"

 

Shizuka glared at the man who leaned against the railing beside her.

 

"No? Fine, give me a few days to come up with another one." Genma laughed as his eyes darted towards the apartment as laughter suddenly broke out inside. "Why aren't you inside?"

 

"I'm too tired to keep a mental barrier up, so my senses are a bit off." Shizuka shrugged before nudging him with her shoulder, "What about you? Shouldn't you be in there?"

 

"Ah, it seemed peaceful out here, and you looked lonely."

 

Shizuka sent him a smile before she remembered something she had been carrying in her pocket.

 

"Ah, here, I found this on a mission a couple of weeks ago." She reached into the pocket inside her jacket and extended her arm with an open palm towards him, a small wooden figurine resting in the middle of her hand.

 

"A lynx figurine?" Genma raised his eyebrows as he plucked the wooden ornament from her hand and brought it closer to his eyes to look at the details. "What is this wood? It has a very distinctive smell."

 

"The tree grows only in the Nara forest, it was being smuggled out of Konoha. It's actually what got me to solve the case." She looked away at the grin blooming across his face. "Don't look at me like that!"

 

"Aw, were you thinking of me?"

 

"No!" Shizuka denied looking back down towards the street, her cheeks taking on a dusty pink tone. "It's your ANBU codename, so it reminded me of you."

 

"That's so sweet!" Genma cooed as he swung his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his side. "Tell you what, I'll let you pick the next place we go out for food."

 

"It was already my turn to pick." Shizuka huffed but didn't complain as he tightened his side hug.

 

"Then you can pick on my turn. How does this next week sound?"

 

"If I don't get called on a mission, sure."

 

"Sounds like a date."

 

"What is this I hear about a date?" Raidō popped his head out into the balcony his eyebrows wiggling suggestively only to have his nose flicked by Shizuka as she walked back inside the party.

 

"Happy birthday, Grizzly, I'm calling it a night."

 

"It's still early, c-"

 

"I'm going too, goodnight mate." Genma waved the man over his shoulder as he walked down to catch up with the younger woman.

 

"You didn't have to leave, you know?"

 

"I was there before you, besides I have early guard duty tomorrow." He shrugged as they descended the stairs of the apartment block. "Have you heard about the possible two new recruits?"

 

"Hai, one is probably coming on to my squad. Is the other joining yours?"

 

"No, mine is full. They are probably joining Yūgao's squad." Genma shook his head and the pair turned into the main street only to hear whistling coming from above them.

 

"Your friends are idiots."

 

"I believe they are your friends too." Genma snickered as they glanced up to see Raidō and Anko smirking at them while Asuma and Kurenai laughed.

 

The pair shook their heads and continued on their way, the sound of the party fading into the background until they couldn't hear it any longer. Despite being late the nightlife was still busy and would stay open for at least a couple more hours until they closed shop.

 

"I wonder if Kaito will end up on my squad." Shizuka mused as they made their way down the street. "Although Shun might make more sense for the squad."

 

"Why do you think that?"

 

"Kaito is good at infiltration but he wouldn't add much to the team compared to Shun who with his kikaichū would be ideal for surveillance and covering the retreat."

 

"It will also depend on how they perform in the trials. Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to help in one of them?"

 

"Yes, I get to be one of the chasers in one. And in the sensory part too."

 

"I'll be helping in the sensory one too. How do you think they will do?"

 

"I think they'll both pass, I had been training with them but recently stopped because of a high quantity of missions."

 

Genma hummed as they turned into the residential street. Shizuka didn't even react as they once again passed Genma's apartment block and continued on their way to the Nara compound.

 

"There is a new dumpling restaurant that opened up close to Ichiraku, have you been yet?"

 

"When did that happen?" Shizuka gave him a surprised look. "I haven't even heard there was a new dumpling restaurant opening up."

 

"I walked past an advertisement the other day." Genma shrugged as he held the gate to the compound open for her to pass through. "I was planning on checking it out tomorrow for lunch."

 

"Is that an invitation?" Shizuka glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, watching as the senbon in his mouth flickered up and down a few times before he responded.

 

"Yeah, what do you think?"

 

"I think it sounds like a plan." Shizuka turned her head and grinned at him, which he returned with a smile of his own.

 

"Great! I'm released from guard duty at noon, anywhere you'd like to meet?"

 

"I'll be at the Intelligence building so I'll meet you outside the Hokage building a quarter past."

 

"That's perfect."

 

"Thank you, Genma." Shizuka smiled softly at him as she stepped up to her house.

 

"Goodnight, Shizuka." Genma smiled although the connection was lost as his eyes darted upwards along the front of her house.

 

' _Seriously…'_ Shizuka sighed as she brushed her senses against that of her father's and pushed slightly against it letting him know she knew he was watching. She then took a step back down the small step of her porch and kissed the Tokujō's cheek.

 

Offering him a small smirk at his wide eyes and the pink dusting his cheek as his eyes flashed to the window of what she knew to be her parent's bedroom she shook her head and stepped back onto the porch.

 

"Goodnight, Genma."

 

The man nodded slowly before he smiled and shook his shock off, and turned back to the path leading out of the compound. Shizuka watched him disappear down the path before she moved inside to remove her shoes and head to bed.

 

* * *

 

The next day, the Ino-Shika-Chō clan heads meet up for their regular lunch meeting, where their conversations usually range from work to family. This week the first topic to be brought up was something that Inoichi and Chōza had just been itching to question their teammate about.

 

"So Shizuka-chan has a boyfriend, hm?" Chōza finally asked as they sat at their usual table in the barbecue restaurant.

 

Shikaku huffed and downed his cup of sake earning himself amused stare from his teammates who were visibly trying not to laugh.

 

"So who has captured the attention of our dearest little trouble magnet?" Chōza questioned again, seeing as Inoichi would just burst into hysterics if he tried to speak.

 

"Shiranui Genma. Technically she's just been out with him, they haven't made it official as far as I know." Shikaku poured himself another drink. " _And_  she's only seventeen. She doesn't need a boyfriend."

 

"Genma, really?" Chōza laughed as Shikaku revealed who Shizuka's love interest was. "Come on, Shikaku, it could be much worse."

 

"Nine years her senior.  _Nine years."_

 

"She's been a Tokujō for over a year and you're worried about a boy? Ino has been all over Sasuke and she's twelve." The Akimichi clan head commented, causing both of his teammates to scowl at him. "Come on Shikaku, Genma is a good one. Everyone loves working with him."

 

"He's a little biased being his sensei and all. But he's right. Besides, isn't she happy?" Inoichi prompted, ignoring the Nara's scowl as he no doubt figured out where this line of questioning was going to lead.

 

"Then what exactly is the issue?" Chōza continued just as the food arrived at their table.

 

"What does Yoshino think about it?" Inoichi prodded further as he placed some food on the grill.

 

"She loves him. Apparently, they ran into him at the market and he offered to carry everything for them." Shikaku grumbled, "He then stayed for tea and helped clean up the kitchen, then they talked for hours before he left  _minutes_ before I arrived."

 

This brought Chōza and Inoichi to laugh for a few moments before Chōza decided to poke some more fun at his old comrade.

 

"He's laying it on thick. I'll bet you the next step is Shikamaru."

 

"Which means her friends and sensei already know. Wonder how long its been going on for. What do you reckon, Chōza?" Inoichi jumped in, the two of them leaning in as if about to launch into a discussion about their friend's daughter's love life.

 

"Shut up." Shikaku grumbled as he flipped the meat on the grill. The silence stretched out for a few moments, the only sound was that of the sizzling meat and vegetables on the grill.

 

"You know Chōji had a crush on her, right? He idolised her when he was a toddler. Now she's his big sister but he still blushes when she kisses his cheek. It's adorable, really." Chōza snickered as his companions shook their heads fondly. It was no secret their kids were all close, despite Shizuka being a few years older.

 

"She's a wonderful role model for them. Though I wish she would help with the Ino and boys situation." Inoichi chuckled behind the rim of his glass as Shikaku slumped further into his seat.

 

"In any case, Shikaku, I'm here to help with the shovel talk if you ever need a helping hand. Just don't tell Shizuka and Yoshino." Inoichi's eyes brightened and Shikaku just  _knew_ he was going to say something ridiculous. "They frighten us way more than you ever could."

 

He clinked glasses with Chōza as the Nara's head just fell backwards, a mumbled curse leaving his lips.

 

"I'll sit this one out, though I can't deny that I'm counting the days until he shows at my house asking for help against you." Chōza leaned in conspiratorially, mirth shining in his eyes.

 

"Ouch, Chōza you're picking your Genin over our dear life long friend?" Inoichi whistled, almost cackling with glee as Shikaku glared at them.

 

"As Shizuka's godfather, I approve of Genma. He's got a good head on his shoulders and he can keep up with your little shadow." Chōza grinned at his friend before sipping his sake.

 

"Ah, I miss the days she would just follow  _us_ around." Shikaku grumbled as he looked down at the grill. "All our kids are officially shinobi now. Adults in the eyes of the village. Where has all that time gone…"

 

"Don't pout Shika, it doesn't fit your image." Inoichi snorted as he reached for some grilled vegetables.

 

"Yes, we still have much to do and their time is just starting." Chōza smiled as he dug into the spread of food in front of him.

 

The three shared a smile at the thought and then switched topics to other news that had been floating around the village. Inoichi was more than happy to fill the other two in on what gossip he had heard recently.

 

* * *

 

At the same time as the three clan heads had lunch, their wives had met up at the Nara household for their own meetup. The women were all retired Chūnin and occasionally used that time to keep their skills polished, but nearly always it involved talking about what was happening around town.

 

"So, Yoshino, what was that about Shizuka having a boyfriend?" Yamanaka Akira questioned as they waited for their food to finish cooking.

 

"Well, she hasn't called him that just yet." Yoshino said as she pulled the plates from the cupboard to set the table for the three of them. "But I'd say it's only a matter of time before she does."

 

"You make it sound as if she's laying the groundwork for that." Akira commented as she reached for the cups.

 

"She probably is!" Miku teased as she stirred the soup on the stove, "She'll probably tackle telling each person individually, Shikaku will likely be the last."

 

"That  _does_ sound like her, but I'm saying that because I don't think she's realised what's happening." Yoshino smiled softly as she spoke. "She's claiming he's just a  _friend_ who she happens to enjoy talking to and they have been out together, but always with other people around."

 

"He was a sweet kid, quiet but always friendly." Miku hummed as she thought back on her husband's old team. "He's a good balance for her."

 

"Funny, that's exactly what I thought." Yoshino snickered as her two friends' heads snapped towards her. "I met him the other day, he came over for tea."

 

Miku placed the food on the table and gave Yoshino an expectant look while Akira sat down at the table.

 

"Shizuka and I were doing the shopping for dinner and he was on a day off after a patrol rotation." The three women all settled around the table as they proceeded to make their plates. "He saw Shizuka and greeted her and only then noticed I was there, so he helped us carry our bags back here."

 

"And then stayed for lunch?" Akira raised her eyebrow as she watched Yoshino try to hold in her laughter.

 

"After much insistence from my part."

 

"Of course." Akira nodded her head seriously a smirk spreading across on her face.

 

They shared a smile and then swapped topics to their own duties to their clans, exchanging suggestions and opinions on some queries from members of their clans. They also finalised the plans for the coming barbeque in the next month.

 

They didn't move from the kitchen and continued sitting at the table some tea and biscuits Akira had baked earlier that day. An hour after they had finished eating they heard the front door opening and closing and Shizuka's voice announcing her arrival.

 

"Ah, Shizuka-chan! How are you?" Miku grinned at her goddaughter who raised her eyebrows at the sight of the three smiling women at the table.

 

"Good afternoon, Ka-San, Miku-Oba, Akira-Oba." Shizuka stepped cautiously into the kitchen. "How was your lunch?"

 

"Enlightening." Akira teased as she huffed a laugh as the young Nara's eyes narrowed on her mother who shrugged innocently.

 

"Do you think Genma-kun can attend the next barbeque?" Miku questioned as she sipped her tea.

 

The three women laughed as Shizuka's head snapped to the Akimichi her jaw dropped.

 

"Miku-Oba!" She flushed a pretty shade of pink and shook her head before rushing out of the room. "I have a patrol rotation. Bye!"

 

"You must keep us updated." Akira gushed a few minutes later when they heard the front door close again.

 

* * *

 

Shizuka returned home from the patrol a couple of days later. After reporting in with the ANBU commander she arrived home just in type for dinner.

 

"Tadaima!" Shizuka called as she pulled her boots off in the little entrance hall.

 

"Okaeri, darling. Dinner is nearly ready, your father just got back from the office." Her mother popped her head into the hall and smiled at her, "Why don't you get a quick shower and join us for dinner if you aren't feeling too tired."

 

"Sounds good." Shizuka stood from the step and moved to her bedroom waving at her brother who was playing shogi with Asuma in the back porch. "Asuma-San, otouto, good evening."

 

"Nee-san, welcome back." Shikamaru glanced up at her before moving a piece on the board and snickered at Asuma. "I believe this game is mine."

 

"It would seem so." Asuma sighed as he stood, "Shizuka good to see you're back, maybe you should play with your brother to keep him from destroying me."

 

"Ah, he's nearly gotten me a couple of times. I'm afraid Tō-San will soon be the only one able to knock him down." Shizuka laughed as they moved back into the living room.

 

"I still haven't actually won, you're good at turning the tables." Shikamaru grumbled as his sister made her way to the hallway where their rooms were. "I'll see you at training tomorrow, Asuma-Sensei."

 

"I do have five years on you, little brother. Give it a little time and I'm sure you'll start beating me most of the time. "

 

"Alright, see you tomorrow, Shikamaru. Shizuka, I'll see you around." Asuma sent her a knowing look at which she just shook her head and waved him off.

 

Shizuka rushed to her bedroom to grab clean clothes as she noticed her father making his way into the living room. Giving him a peck on the cheek and a greeting as she brushed past him in the hallway.

 

Knowing she didn't have long until dinner was served she didn't stall in her routine and went through it quickly. Leaving her hair tumbling down in their usual waves she moved to the kitchen and sat next to her brother at her usual seat.

 

"Thank you for waiting." Shizuka smiled as her family then started making their plates. "So, Shika, how has training been with team ten?"

 

"Troublesome, but Asuma is nice and it's not like we have that many issues with teamwork."

 

"And the other teams? I've heard some interesting things about Kakashi-Senpai's team." Shizuka commented as she put some salad on her plate.

 

"The doom team: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto. As different from each other as you can get in terms of personality."

 

"Sounds like an interesting team." Shizuka snorted and sent her father a look. "Poor Kakashi-Senpai he's guaranteed an interesting year."

 

Shikaku shook his head and gave her an amused look which earned him a curious look from Shikamaru.

 

"Funny, that's what I thought when your father told me what team you would be on." Yoshino commented as she passed the rice over to Shikaku.

 

"Well, from what I hear, their team is on a whole other level of conflict."

 

"You have no idea." Shikamaru deadpanned causing all of them to laugh at the expression on his face.

 

Their laughter was interrupted by a knock on the door. Before Shizuka could comment on who was at the door her father was already moving into the hall only to return moments later.

 

"Shizuka, it's for you." Shikaku returned to the kitchen with a grey scroll in hand.

 

"Must be an emergency since you just got back." Yoshino commented as Shikaku tossed his daughter the scroll who quickly opened it to scan its contents.

 

"Doesn't seem too urgent, the departure time is only tomorrow at dawn." Shizuka rolled the message again and set it aside. "I should be back in two weeks too, which means I'll be back for the trials of the two initiates."

 

Her father snorted at the grin that spread across her lips while Shikamaru and Yoshino looked slightly confused.

 

"Don't be too harsh on them, it wouldn't be fair."

 

"When am I not fair?" Shizuka teased sending her brother a wink.

 

"When you play shogi."

 

"Only if I'm distracted." Shizuka defended as her family laughed and they returned to their dinner while talking about their week.


	31. Effectiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\
> 
> Hey!
> 
> Sorry for the delay! I've had two incredibly busy weeks for uni and barely got any writing done in that period. I am entering exam season, therefore updating might only happen two or three times until the end of May.
> 
> On my decision for choosing her mask (revealed at the end of the chapter): they are fast and agile, hard-working but still playful and they are thought to bring fortune in luck in some cultures. I thought it was a rather good fit :D
> 
> Thanks! And Enjoy!
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

 

The next morning Shizuka met up with Cat, Grizzly and Ape at one of the ANBU guarded gates. It was located just past the normal public gates in a dense patch of the forest, its secrecy was to allow ANBU to come and go unseen by everyone else.

 

"Investigation and elimination of a corrupt politician." Cat-Taichō explained as they launched into the trees. "We will be crossing the border with Grass and will be close to Iwa, therefore extreme caution will be necessary."

 

"Where did the information come from?" Shizuka asked from the flank of the formation, with Grizzly and Ape just ahead of her to each side.

 

"How will we infiltrate?" Ape asked at the same time the two youngest members of the team turned to glance at each other as they continued at the fast pace of their unit.

 

"There is an event happening in a local Lord's residence, and our target is set to attend. The Lord of the city, Lord Hoga, requested the investigation, but recently found evidence himself."

 

"So he has jumped ahead and ordered an assassination."

 

"Hai." Cat sighed as Shizuka hummed in interest and then continued speaking, already predicting what her next questions were going to be. "Because of the trade alliance we have with Grass we must ensure the accusations are true before we act, which is why we will use the party as a cover story."

 

"Cover story? You don't mean-"

 

"Bear and I will investigate from the shadows. Meanwhile, you will attend the party as a civilian guest, the daughter of a merchant from the south of the Land of Fire and Ape is your bodyguard."

 

"You have got to be kidding me." Shizuka deadpanned, her pout hidden behind the mask.

 

"Wait, why are we splitting up so much?" Ape questioned, his eyes flickering between Shizuka and their captain.

 

"To get all sides of the story." Shizuka explained. "I can get information from the party guests, you can get information from the servants while Grizzly and Taichō get to sneak into rooms and archives and do our normal job."

 

"That sums it up perfectly." Cat complimented before he let himself fall closer to the centre of the formation. "We will discuss backstories once we settle in, and it would be ideal to make final adjustments to our chakra concealment techniques."

 

"Hai, I can supply some pointers and better ways to fit in with civilians instead of the simple concealment." Shizuka easily agreed, her mind already flying through the possibilities.

 

Cat-Taichō hummed in agreement and retook his position just ahead of Bear and Ape, allowing the team to proceed in silence for the rest of their one day journey.

 

* * *

 

The group arrived outside the gates of Kurimaki village a couple of hours before dinner. As soon as they were an hour from the gates, Shizuka and Ape changed into their "characters".

 

While Cat and Bear continued with their journey via tree tops, the other two remained on the ground and waited for their contact who was to meet them on the road.

 

They didn't wait for longer than half an hour until a couple of signatures entered Shizuka's range.

 

' _Two civilians and one shinobi. Four miles out. Probably our contact.'_ Shizuka signed to Naoki who nodded in acceptance and they both moved into the tree tops, concealing their chakra as they waited for the group to arrive.

 

Once the carriage passed them, Naoki made a hooting sound, to which the man who was walking alongside the carriage responded with a soft tap at the carriage door.

 

"My Lord, we are almost to our destination."

 

"Ah, good." Shizuka heard some shuffling around the carriage before the man stuck his head out. "Where are they?"

 

The man sighed and looked up to the tree where he had heard the hooting from.

 

"They hide amongst their namesake."

 

Sharing a look with Naoki they jumped down, landing in a crouched position by the tree they had been perched on.

 

"Lord Nakada, thank you for your cooperation." Naoki handed the bodyguard, Isoroku, the scroll with a message for the Lord.

 

Isoroku read over the missive and passed it on to lord Naka who read it over and nodded before opening the carriage.

 

"Come in, dear, I shall brief you on who you shall meet on the way. Isoruko, do answer any questions the man has."

 

"Yes, my lord." Isoroku gestured for Naoki to fall into step with him just behind the carriage while Shizuka entered the small wooden compartment.

 

Inside she was greeted with a variety of scrolls and pictures.

 

"I was requested to put compile what I knew of who was attending the party to inform you." The lord explained at her raised eyebrow. "Lord Jiraiya saved me on a mission many years ago and I have since become an informant for him."

 

"Ah, I see." Shizuka hummed as she picked up the first scroll. "And he knew I was coming?"

 

"I believe someone told him of a young kunoichi making a name for herself in the infiltration field. With his new...  _profession_ he wanted someone else to have access to some of his contacts for easier delivery of information."

 

"And I'm assuming my Taichō, the Hokage, the head of Intelligence and possibly even my father are aware of this?" The Nara let out a dry snort as she glanced through the list of people attending the event.

 

"Wouldn't you say having a central pin to a network such as this in Konoha more beneficial? You have after all been involved in quite a few task forces."

 

Shizuka raised her eyebrow at the knowing look on the man's face. The man must have been a few years older than her father, as his hair had more grey in it, but other than the crinkle at the corner of his brown eyes nothing else showcased that difference.

 

"So, he's basically offering soe of his own contact so that the process of passing on information is simpler and allowing cases to be handled faster. Which means I'm doing part of the paperwork he was supposed to, giving him more time to write erotica novels." She deadpanned again, making the man's lips twitch into a small smile.

 

"That does indeed sound like Jiraiya-sama."

 

"Wonderful." Shizuka sarcastic tone drew a chuckle from the man, leaving her to focus back on her reading.

 

"My my, that isn't how a young lady should respond to her father." The man gently teased, another chuckle leaving him as Shizuka lightly glared over the edge of the scroll she was reading. "Now, I believe you have some homework to finish."

 

Shizuka's eye twitched but she didn't comment and instead focused on the load of paperwork she had to get through before the event two days from then.

 

* * *

 

They were staying at a high-end hotel close to the palace. When she first woke up on the morning the day after they arrived in town, she almost expected the image of the rundown inns she normally stayed in for missions. Instead, she was greeted by polished hardwood floor, a plush mattress and soft sheets.

 

' _Better not get used to this.'_ Shizuka sighed as she lazily stretched and moved to the small entrance hall of her room where Naoki was sleeping on the mattress provided bodyguards of the hotel's clients.

 

"Don't you look comfy." Shizuka teased as Naoki groaned and looked up at her from his position. "You know the bed is large enough for almost four people, it's not like we haven't slept close on the same mattress before."

 

"Yeah, but that was because we were in the Snow country and if we didn't share the sleeping bag we would have frozen. Besides, that was also before you and Lynx became a thing."

 

"Genma and I aren't a  _thing._ " Shizuka groaned as she yanked the pillow from under Naoki's head and swatted it at him. "Now, get up! I was invited to attend a brunch at the palace with some of the women attending the gala. You will then be able to talk with the other bodyguards and even some palace staff."

 

"How are you supposed to act like a lady in there? You're a cruel little thing."

 

Shizuka scowled at him and threw the pillow at his head before turning on her heel and reaching into the trunk her 'father' had provided with several outfits for her to use.

 

She slipped into the attached bathroom and made herself presentable. As she finished applying her makeup she heard Naoki knocking on the door.

 

"You're going to be late."

 

"Fine. I'm done." Shizuka slipped out and scowled at Naoki's surprised expression.

 

"Don't you look  _adorable_  all dressed up." He reached over and gave her head a gentle pat, careful not to ruin the crown braid she had made.

 

"Shut up and get ready." Shizuka grumbled and ducked under his arm to gather the small bag she would carry with her and slipped a senbon into her sleeves, attaching it to the fabric with a safety pin and a band.

 

By the time she had ensured she could reach it without interference from the fabric and that it didn't weigh down the sleeve too noticeably Naoki had finished in the bathroom. He was wearing a simple tunic and pant with a sword clipped to his belt and no doubt a couple of other weapons hidden on his person.

 

"Let's go, gossip central awaits." He gave a low bow as he held the door open for her, snorting as she flicked his head as she walked past.

 

Their teasing evaporated the moment they entered the hotel lobby, their masks of lady and bodyguard falling smoothly into place.

 

During the walk to the palace, Naoki walked a couple of paces behind her as they made their way through the crowded streets of the city. And once they reached the entrance gate to the palace they were greeted by two guards who checked them over before allowing them into the compound.

 

They were greeted at the doors by a maid and another guard.

 

"Good morning, my lady. The brunch is to take place at the southern balcony, your guard will be allowed into the lower quarters, just further down the corridor from where you will be. Goro will take you there."

 

"Thank you." Shizuka gave the maid a shy smile before she moved to follow the guard through the hallways towards the balcony. "Kenji, I will meet you back here once brunch is over."

 

"Hai, my lady." Naoki nodded before he turned to the guard who led them. "I assume there will be other guards close to the balcony?"

 

"The ladies will be safe in the balcony."

 

Shizuka glanced at Naoki from the corner of her eye and saw the man roll his eyes at the bland response. He didn't have time to prod any further as they had reached their destination and Goro held open the door to the brightly lit balcony for Shizuka to enter.

 

"Oh, hello, dear." A light blond haired woman approached Shizuka at the door, her lips twisted into a sweet smile. "Are you here for the ladies' brunch?"

 

"Hai. I hope I am not too late?"

 

"Oh, no! You are just in time, we were about to be seated. I'm Chō, Lord Hoga's wife. Tell me, dear, what is your name?"

 

"Nakada Natsumi, my father is Nakada Takai."

 

"Oh! The artwork merchant! I do love his work, we have a few of his paintings around the palace. Do you paint?" The woman led her over to where the other people were sitting and noticing with a bit of exasperation that they had all stopped their conversations to listen to her answer.

 

"Hai, father taught me early on. He says I have my mother's talent." Shizuka repressed the urge to roll her eyes as the group of women cooed at her apparent shyness.

 

Shizuka took a moment to observe the five women carefully. She knew from the guest list and from what Takai had told her that three of them were married to lords and two were married to important merchants.

 

She was the youngest of the group by at least a decade from what their profiles said, which meant they would underestimate her. And she was the daughter that was kept a secret so that she could have a 'normal childhood' which also meant she would have some leeway into what details she wanted to add to her backstory.

 

The group of women moved their conversation to the round table at the centre of the balcony where servants were revealing the food for them. A wide variety of foreign pastries and small individual bowls of rice at each seat. Alongside it all were trays overflowing with fruits and a couple of teapots around the table for them to pour themselves.

 

During the entire morning Shizuka had to sit and giggle about stories the women were telling of their younger years, had to listen to their gloating and underhanded insults of their husbands and lives.

 

' _So boring…'_ Shizuka sighed as she passed on the little plate of lemon cakes to Lady Chō to her right.  _'All I can really gauge from them is relationships between these five lords and their public dealings.'_

 

Although this was far from her typical behaviour, she was still the daughter of a clan head and her early interest in infiltration allowed for her to fall into character easily. The brunch also let her get a good feel on what the atmosphere of the gala the following day would be like.

 

Two full hours after she arrived, the ladies were starting to leave to return to wherever they were staying for the duration of the events. Having not found anything worthy of further prodding from the women she had a maid summon her bodyguard from where he was waiting.

 

She waited inside the balcony talking lowly to Lady Chō about the paintings her father had brought along for a silent auction that was to happen during the gala. Luckily for her, a knock came not five minutes into the conversation.

 

"Lady Nakada, are you ready to leave?" Kenji called as he opened the door slightly, pushing it open further as she nodded and bid the lady of the palace goodby.

 

The pair moved silently through the hall and left the palace heading in the direction of their hotel.

 

"My lady, your father left painting supplies at reception, if you wish to have them delivered to your room."

 

"Yes, that is a good idea." Shizuka sent a small smile in the direction of her bodyguard. "If you wish, you may roam the markets to your content as I paint."

 

"I will think about it, my lady." Kenji nodded and stepped to the reception desk, requesting that the painting supplies be brought up to the room.

 

Inside the room, they waited for two minutes before a knock sounded announcing the arrival of to hotel workers bringing in the easel, canvas and paint box.

 

Tenzō created two wood clones in the image of the workers and sent them out while Raidō slapped some privacy seals on the walls before giving the others the all clear.

 

"God I hate these clothes." Shizuka groaned as she undid her upper layers of the kimono and disappeared into the bathroom to wrap a simple cotton robe around her slip. "Please tell me they found something more than petty arguments between families."

 

"I had a look at the rooms of the people from the brunch, the target's wife isn't attending after all. Those people have been cleared, nothing of interest in their own dealings." Raidō supplied as he slumped back into Shizuka's bed. "Man, you definitely got a good deal on this mission."

 

"Would you enjoy spending two hours gossiping and insulting other people to make yourself feel better about your life?" Shizuka sat by the table where Tenzō had put a pile of notes he had written. "What are these?"

 

"What I heard from the men's equivalent to a brunch. Cigars, drinks and cards." Tenzō replied pulling a couple of the sheets to the top of the pile. "These caught my attention can you connect them to what the women said?"

 

"Yeah, do you have a pen? I can make notes with what I found." Shizuka smiled up at their captain who nudged some writing supplies in her direction. "What about you, Naoki?"

 

"The bodyguards also know of the tensions between their clients, but they mainly just complained their charges are too spoiled."

 

"And the servants? Did you get the chance to talk to any of them?"

 

"Yeah, the cooks and maids working in the kitchen, where we were staying, complained the town is short on some ingredients because of the falling outs of the merchants."

 

"Alright, so I suppose whatever problems are arising are with the merchants. Perhaps the two lords are competing for the monopoly of one trading company?" Shizuka suggested as she passed the papers back to Tenzō who glanced over them before sealing them into a small scroll he had inside his uniform.

 

"It does seem to be leaning to that. Raidō and I will investigate the merchants guild. You and Naoki should head out to the market and have a look around the stalls from the groups I mentioned in the notes."

 

"Hai."

 

The team pulled down the privacy seals and waited for Cat's clones to come in to clean the room and change the sheets so that they could again switch places. As they did that, Shizuka and Naoki left the hotel again for further investigation of the market.

 

* * *

 

The afternoon after brunch and the morning before the ball were useless from her point. She pinpointed the merchant that was smack middle of the conflict easily enough. Some seeds from the Fire and Earth countries weren't being sold to Lord Hoga's town because Lord Fukui was running interference and selling it to someone else. But without seeing the logs and shipments she couldn't get any solid proof, therefore she had to relay her findings to Cat and Bear to narrow their search.

 

Luckily for them, they managed to get enough proof before the gala, and all they had to do was slip a poisoned needle into the corrupt Lord Fukui's body and let him die during the night of 'natural' causes.

 

And now nearly two hours into the gala and their target had yet to show up. Which is why Shizuka was forced to hold a conversation with the people attending the event, her 'father' introducing her and holding most of the conversations, allowing her to observe their body language and gather some information of her own.

 

She was eventually dragged away from her fake father by Lady Chō, who had been charmed by her personality the previous day and thus had deemed her worthy of introduction to other socialites that had arrived.

 

Things got slightly more interesting then, when the women introduced her to their sons, dropping rather obvious hints to the young men to invite her to dance but they were too dense to notice. Instead, she offered shy smiles and fluttered her eyelashes to get them to talk about their family business.

 

She could practically  _feel_ the looks she was receiving from the men and some of the women as she flitted about holding conversations and little pleased smiles as she was complimented.

 

Once she grew tired of her character she moved to her father who had also secluded himself to one of the tables to sit and talk in low tones, their eyes still roaming the hall to keep an eye out for their target.

 

While looking at the hall ahead, she completely forgot the groups of tables behind her where others had settled to eat and talk away from the bustle of the dance floor and buffet table.

 

"Lady Nakada, would you honour me with a dance?" A deep voice sounded from behind her.

 

Shizuka spun around in her seat to see a man with navy blue hair, so dark she would have called it black if the lights from the chandeliers hadn't been shining on his head. His hair was slightly long and held together at the base of his neck, his eyes were also a pretty blue, the colour of the water of the lake back at home.

 

' _It's the man that had been observing me earlier from the corner.'_ Shizuka noticed once she finished her inspection of the man, allowing a shy smile to play on her lips as she reached for his extended hand.

 

"Please lead the way, sir."

 

The man led her to the dance floor and they melted into the crowd of people. It didn't escape her notice that he kept her just out of sight of her father, but not from where she could sense Naoki along the wall of the ballroom.

 

' _Interesting. A civilian too.'_ Shizuka observed the man's steps and was pleasantly surprised he could follow through with the increasingly intricate steps of the dance without stumbling.

 

She went through the events of the night to be able to connect him with any of the possible people at the ball.

 

"I arrived late. You caught my attention from the moment I saw you." Shizuka resisted the urge to knock the man out and hand him over to one of her teammates for questioning. "Now, where are my manners. I'm Gōrudo, and I have a proposition for you."

 

Before she could answer she was twirled away from him and onto another man for the next sequence of steps. She used the opportunity of being twirled around the dance floor to keep an eye on the blue haired man as well as trying to catch Naoki's eye.

 

Before she could signal her teammate, she was back with her original partner.

 

"I've seen the way you interact with people. You have this aura that makes people trust you." He pulled her closer as the floor became more crowded. "I have use for people of your  _talents_  in my close circle."

 

"And what would you have me use these talents for?"

 

"Gathering information. I don't like being underprepared for business deals."

 

"And what do I get in return? My father's work provides enough."

 

"I'm rather flexible with payment, information, clients for your father, cash, take your pick."

 

"I should talk to my father." Shizuka used the end of the song to her advantage. "Thank you for the dance, perhaps we will see each other again."

 

"My lady." The man gave her a shallow bow and disappeared again to the corner of the room, probably to continue observing the event.

 

' _Interesting fellow. To be able to sneak into the palace unnoticed.'_ Shizuka smirked, thinking about the offer.  _'If he has a large network, he would be an interesting contact to make.'_

 

Before she could deliberate further something more interesting, and concerning, caught her attention.

 

' _Shinobi. Three. And strong.'_ Cursing her luck she spun around to signal Naoki, only to see Gōrudo appear next to her, blocking her view of her teammate.

 

"Gōrudo-San, I was just about to go back to my father."

 

"Perhaps I'll walk you there, there is something brewing in the shadows." He linked his arm with hers and walked with her towards where Takai had moved to. "Don't worry dear, I'm sure the hidden shinobi will deal with any issues."

 

"Shinobi? Here?"

 

"Two teams from two nations if I am to believe my little shades."

 

"Oh, how exciting." Shizuka mumbled, her senses flaring and pinpointing one shinobi moving towards Lord Hoga. "Father! I'm rather tired, perhaps we should thank Lord Hoga and depart? We are leaving rather early tomorrow."

 

To his credit, Takai didn't even flinch at her rapid change of plan from what he had been briefed on before the gala, and instead, he thanked Gōrudo for bringing his daughter to him before locating Lord Hoga in the crowd.

 

"Let us go then." Takai offered her his arm and they made a swift move towards the Lord and his wife, whispering to Shizuka once they were closer to the louder part of the room, knowing he wouldn't be overheard. "What's going on?"

 

"Assassination attempt on Lord Hoga, don't know who sent them." Shizuka answered as she tugged at the poisoned needle in her sleeve and sticking it under the bracelet on her wrist to allow for an easy draw.

 

' _Dammit, I haven't even sighted our target yet.'_ She sighed as she braced herself for her next move.

 

Just as the enemy shinobi was a step in front of her and a meter away from Lord Hoga, Shizuka pretended to stumble on the hem of her kimono and let go of her father's arm in order to brace herself on the stranger in front of her.

 

The needle under her wrist poked out just enough to pierce the man's bicep as she clasped her hands around the muscle to stop her from falling.

 

"Natsumi-chan, are you alright?" Her father was quick to help her right herself, "If you were so tired we could have retired a while ago, my dear."

 

"Sorry father, I know how much these events mean to you." Shizuka shuffled on her feet before turning to the man in front of her who was already showing signs of the fast-acting poison. "I'm very sorry, sir. It seems like my sense of balance has gone out the window with the late hour."

 

"Oh, no harm was done, Natsumi-chan." Lady Chō was quick to interfere, offering the younger girl a kind smile. "We thank you for coming tonight, your paintings were a success in the auction."

 

"Yes, yes! Such talent!" Lord Hoga grinned, his hand already waving at the people who had stopped to watch the commotion away. "Thank you for coming, Takai-San. Now sit, are you alright? Huh? Where has he gone?"

 

Shizuka didn't answer and let Takai lead her away from the crowd and towards the exit of the hall. Just as they were about to leave, someone called Takai's name and gestured him over for a chat.

 

"Go, I'll be outside." Shizuka gave his arm a pat and left the hall, moving so that she was to the side of the doors, close to the stairs leading to the upper galleries.

 

She waited for a few minutes until someone approached her from behind. As soon as the person was within her range she spun around and jabbed her senbon into the arm reaching for her neck.

 

Catching sight of the man's Iwa hitai-ate she ducked the second arm making a grab for her arm and grabbed the second hidden senbon from the inside of her obi and jabbed it into the man's jugular.

 

"Now, I can't really say I'm very surprised that you are a kunoichi. You were entirely too graceful in your little stumble." The familiar deep voice of Gōrudo sounded from the doorway to the hall.

 

"Don't move. Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now?"

 

"Because my proposition still stands, even if I got your profession wrong at first."

 

"Explain. Now." Shizuka growled, her eyes darting to the hall behind him and then to the stairs leading up to the galleries. "Come on, we are too open here."

 

She bent down and dragged the body up the stairs, stuffing it inside a cabinet and jamming the lock with one of her needles.

 

"I run a network called the Spectrum. I am a merchant and as I said I don't like being unprepared for business meetings." He gave her a knowing look. "I must say, you caught me b surprise, I didn't expect to run into a kunoichi of the Leaf."

 

"The deal, what do I get from it? I told you cash is useless."

 

"Information then. You shinobi are a paranoid bunch, you like to know of everything that is happening around you. I can help. I have access to a wide range of sources."

 

"And your price?"

 

"Information." The man raised his hand as Shizuka glared at him, her fingers twitching around the senbon. "Nothing to endanger your village, but for the protection of my people. I assure you, we don't deal with anything on the darker side of the criminal spectra."

 

"And I'm supposed to take your word for it?"

 

"Don't worry, kunoichi-chan." The man chuckled. "I expect you to have your doubts, perhaps your  _father_  could supply some answers? I'm sure he has heard of my little group."

 

"And then, how will I contact you?"

 

"There is an art shop in Konoha, it sells specially imported paints. Give the following order when you are ready: A recurring supply of Akarui Gōrudo. I will then know you have accepted."

 

"Bright, huh?" Shizuka shook her head and tucked the senbon back into her sleeves. "I assume I can pick up my  _order_ at the same shop?"

 

"Indeed. Everyone is codenamed a colour, so I expect to hear from you, Akarui, soon. If you accept I shall provide you with the rest of the code we use for contact."

 

Shizuka nodded and the man turned back down the stairs and she tracked his signature until he left the palace.

 

' _Now, I should probably get Naoki to dispose of the body while I meet up with Takai.'_ Sighing again she made her way down the stairs where she waited for a few moments until Naoki appeared with Takai.

 

"There you are, my dear. Sorry for the wait, shall we return to the hotel?"

 

"Yes, please." Shizuka stepped to Takai's side and signalled for Naoki's attention.

 

" _Body. Cabinet upstairs. Iwa."_

 

Naoki gave her a look but nodded and disappeared up the stairs as she and Takai made their way out of the palace.

 

Isoroku, Takai's bodyguard met them at the entrance of the palace and walked with them to the hotel, his eyes continuously scanning the streets ahead for any other threats.

 

The young Nara bid them goodnight and went straight to the bathroom to change into sweatpants and a soft shirt, taking her time to unpin her hair from the braids she had made and wiping the makeup from her face. By the time she finished getting ready for bed, Naoki had returned and was arranging pillows on the bed.

 

"Taichō and Bear have gone in pursuit of the target, it was a good thing Taichō left a clone by the man's hotel and caught them leaving." Ape commented as he built a wall of pillows on the large mattress. "We will meet them on the road tomorrow, if they don't meet us by the chosen spot we are to pursue with caution."

 

"Got it." Shizuka yawned as she left the bathroom and flopped on her side of the bed. "Goodnight, Naoki."

 

"Goodnight, Chip."

 

* * *

 

In the morning Shizuka piled inside the carriage with Takai as Naoki and Isoroku walked beside it. The plan was to meet up with Cat-Taichō and Bear outside the city limits since the two men had left the palace in pursuit of their original target while Shizuka and Naoki wrapped up their side of the plot.

 

The ride was mainly silent as Takai was working on some paperwork for his records while Shizuka read a scroll on a water jutsu she had been planning on learning, but she was failing at focusing long enough to get past the description of the jutsu.

 

"Takai-San, have you ever heard of the Spectrum?"

 

"The spy network? I have heard rumours of them." The man put aside the notebook he had been writing in and Shizuka pocketed the scroll to listen to what the man had to say. "You ran into one of them."

 

"Hai, the man that asked me to dance: Gōrudo, after the panic he found me killing the other Iwa shinobi." Shizuka leaned her head on the wall of the carriage behind her. "He made an offer of allegiance."

 

"And you are considering the moral ramifications of this deal." Takai hummed as he contemplated the young woman in front of him. "From what I know, the worst of the Spectrum's dealings are in smuggling. Mainly people and supplies."

 

"Damn, they would have been a nice contact to have. They must have some pretty good people if he knew that there were other shinobi in town."

 

"You didn't let me finish." Takai shook his head, "They smuggle people across borders for their safety. From what I hear they helped people escape the massacres in Kiri and the poverty in Wave."

 

"And the supplies?"

 

"To help the people in Wave, some areas are still suffering from the wars that destroyed their food sources." Takai shrugged at her surprised expression. "Don't know why you are surprised I'm not against the idea of linking up with them."

 

"I never said I'd offer them up to Lord Jiraiya, he already has his own network." Shizuka huffed causing the man to chuckle.

 

"You forget, I'm now supposed to help you too. The least you could do is offer me information from the Spectrum should I ask for it."

 

"Fine, but only if I have the information I need." Shizuka rolled her eyes and the man nodded but he didn't return to his notes, instead, he continued the conversation casually.

 

"How will you go about it?"

 

"I'll let them do whatever, as long as I am kept in the loop. List of people, supplies, as long as they aren't a security issue to us and our allies, I won't interfere."

 

"How will you contact them?"

 

"They run an art supply shop, they have a contact in Konoha. I have a codename, so I just need to make a specific order to pass on messages and request meetings."

 

"Clever. I assume other cities have the same system? I will not do anything with the information, though I do ask that if the opportunity arises, that you bring me in on the whole operation."

 

"It'll have to wait, I will test out how they work. Once we have a system going I'll bring you in, maybe even Lord Jiraiya."

 

"I'm sure you'll manage to handle it just fine."

 

Shizuka offered the man a smile before she pulled out the water jutsu scroll again, her mind much sharper now that one big issue had been solved.

 

* * *

 

It was three hours into their travelling that Cat and Bear met them on the road. Neither were injured but were both less rested than their other two companions that had been travelling at a civilian pace.

 

"We are ready to leave now. Have you ensured a line of contact with Lord Nakada?" Cat-Taichō asked as Shizuka and Naoki unsealed their shinobi equipment from a scroll in their bags.

 

"Hai. Thank you, Lord Nakada, I'm sure you will become a valuable contact." Shizuka smiled at the man who had remained seated in the carriage.

 

"Farewell, Shizuka-chan, Naoki-kun." The man waved as the carriage started moving further down the road that led towards the Land of Hot Springs.

 

"Change back into uniform quickly, if we depart for Konoha immediately we may yet make it before sundown."

 

"Hai, taichō."

 

The two youngest members of the squad moved behind some bushes and pulled on their uniform, finishing it up with their masks before they jumped to the tallest tree branches where Cat and Bear had been perched.

 

"Full speed back. Standard formation." Cat called and the group fell into their standard diamond shape with Cat leading and Shizuka taking up the rear.

 

The journey was silent while they were still in the Grass country, but that didn't last long.

 

"Hey, Chip, what about that man you danced with? You said his name was Gōrudo? I don't recall seeing his name on the list of guests." Ape commented as they crossed the border into the Fire country.

 

"He wasn't invited. He sneaked in." Shizuka grinned under her mask, her tone betraying her amusement to her teammates.

 

"A shinobi? How did he slip past us?" Grizzly's tone conveyed his bafflement at the idea that a man as ordinarily looking as him has slipped past elite shinobi.

 

"Not a shinobi." Shizuka affirmed her tone twisting into a smug tone. "A  _civilian._ "

 

"A civilian sneaked in. A  _civilian_ managed to evade all those guards and safety checks?" Shizuka hummed in agreement to Raidō's question. "How!?"

 

"We weren't looking for a civilian."

 

"Please tell me he didn't realise you were a shinobi. If  _you_  couldn't hide from a civilian I'll resign right now."

 

"Chill, Grizzly. You can keep your job. Turns out he manages a network of spies and he was searching for a new contact and he saw my powers of persuasion and wanted me on his team." Shizuka teased, internalling laughing as the three males stiffened in front of her.

 

"He thought you were a-" Raidō choked on his words, earning a snort from the Nara.

 

"Yup!" Shizuka laughed. "I can't  _wait_ till Tō-San hears of this."

 

"Remind me to sign up for full ANBU rota when we arrive. A grumpy Jōnin commander giving missions is never a good idea." Ape mumbled to Taichō and Grizzly as they fell into step closer together.

 

"Especially because he knows you are on my team."

 

"Is this payback for the mission? It's not like anyone will ever find out your real name!" Naoki whined as he glanced back at the sole female of their team.

 

"You threw me to the wolves! Stuffy nobles and snooty merchants." Shizuka grouched. "Next time can one of you please pretend to be my husband."

 

"Remind me to request Genma for any missions of this type." Taichō teased from his position at the front.

 

"Taichō! Not you too!"

 

* * *

 

The day after the team returned from the mission, Tenzō and Shizuka were called to the Forest of Death to observe the trials of the possible new recruits. The masks the two recruits wore was blank with numbers written on their foreheads in a bright orange colour.

 

In front of the two recruits were the ANBU Commander Jackal, Yūgao with her tiger mask and a man from Genma's team codenamed Horse. The commander seemed to be commenting on the trials the two prospects had already completed, the fighting skills half and was explaining the second half of the trials, which were for other valuable skills. These skills include things such as being chased, tracking, ambush and so on.

 

Tenzō signalled for her to stay out of sight for the moment and walked over to Horse, whispering something to him and gesturing to the tree she was hiding behind. Horse was known to be a genjutsu specialist however, he was also one of the fastest ANBU in the ranks.

 

He jumped to the tree she was on and stood next to her.

 

"Seems like the newbie is the second chaser for today." He whispered, although his voice was slightly distorted by the mask Shizuka could hear the amusement in his tone. "You know who they are?"

 

"Hai." Shizuka replied her eyes trained on the people below. "One will use Genjutsu to distract and cover his retreat, Two will spam jamming techniques."

 

"So it'll be a matter of keeping up and tracking the old fashion way."

 

"Yeah, I've gotten better at tracking while the area is being jammed but I'll have more success with physical clues. One is probably faster than Two, although Two is better at hiding."

 

"Got it." Just as Horse replied the Commander gestured for them to join them again so that they could start.

 

"Recruits, these are your chasers, Horse and Chipmunk. They are two of the fastest in the ranks so you will have to give the test maximum commitment." The commander's tone was the usual monotonous and stern distorted voice, but Shizuka could tell he wasn't as bored as he was showing. "This task you can only lose points, for every tag they place on your person you are deducted points, tags on vital points lose more points. You must evade them for the next two days and same rules apply as before, don't leave the forest."

 

The commander observed the prospect recruits silently before handing the 'caught' tags to each chaser. Shizuka observed them for a moment and smirked.

 

' _For every tag placed on their person, their chakra is slightly blocked. Which means they will be slower the more tags we put up.'_ Shizuka looked up at the recruits in front of her as she heard one of the recruits exhaling.

 

"Chi-Chipmunk?" The guy beneath the plain white mask with the number one painted on it stuttered, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

 

Shizuka narrowed her eyes as Kaito's silent laughter became audible. In the silence of the forest, the giggling sounded loud and clear, and she knew that some of the ANBU members watching were keeping their own snickers in.

 

"Recruit one… Run." Chipmunk growled in annoyance, her hands already drawing out some of the 'caught' tags.

 

Recruit two, who she knew to be Shun disappeared immediately into the forest surrounding them, but Kaito took a moment too long to compose himself and got slapped on the head with a tag.

 

"Too slow. Strike one." Shizuka growled, looking back at Horse who gestured for her to go after Shun, she then spread her sensory range in search of the Aburame.

 

She let a smirk bloom on her lip as she heard Kaito's sputtering and then the sound of him launching into the higher branches, the other chaser following right behind him.

 

' _Let the games begin.'_

 

* * *

 

It was three weeks that when Chipmunk and her team gathered in their bunk room to properly introduce themselves to their newest team member.

 

"Team, this is Aburame Shun, codename Mantis. He's the final member of our squad." Cat-Taichō gestured to Shun who had his mask clipped at his belt and a bag slung over his shoulder.

 

"You may call me Tenzō when we aren't on missions." Tenzō took his cat mask off and clipped it to his belt before he gestured to the next person.

 

"You already know me." Shizuka smiled as she waved from her top bunk. "Chipmunk in here. Welcome to the team."

 

"Call her Chip, we all do." Raidō nodded from his bunk under Shizuka's. "I'm Raidō, my codename is Bear."

 

"I'm Hakui, or Stag. I'm the medic on your team." The medic nodded in greeting and gestured to the last remaining bunk. "You have the bunk above mine."

 

"And I'm Naoki, or Ape." Naoki glanced up from the book he had been reading. "So, Taichō, what are we working with? I just got back from border patrol, so I didn't have the opportunity to watch the trials."

 

"Mantis is specialised in medium to long range combat. He will be working with Chipmunk in tracking and with ensuring no one can track us." Tenzō then gestured to the sheathed katana blade on Shun's back. "He still has some polishing work to be done on his kenjutsu and taijutsu, so we will focus on that for the out of village training."

 

"Please tell me we are not going to where we did my out of village training." Shizuka pouted as she shifted so that her legs would hang from the side of the bed.

 

"Was little chip afraid of the big bad animals in the forest?" Raidō teased as he pinched her shins.

 

"That island sucked." The Nara grouched as she slid from the top bunk and landed silently on the ground.

 

"Unfortunately for you, yes, that is where we are heading, you have three days to prepare." Tenzō shook his head as Shizuka sighed but nodded.

 

"I'll get some extra rations from the Akimichi." She sighed and swatted at Raidō's hand as he went to ruffle her hair.

 

"That would be much appreciated." Tenzō nodded at her and then turned to the rest of the members. "Has everyone notified your other supervisors of your month absence?"

 

"Hai, Taichō. Although once we return I am set for an intensive course at the hospital for a new treatment for chakra exhaustion, so I'll be off rotation for the team." Stag commented as she settled on her bunk.

 

"Alright, in that case, everything is set. We depart first thing in the morning three days from now." Tenzō reached for the mask clipped at his belt and stepped towards the door. "Stag and Ape, we should head over now for our rotation at the nest."

 

"Hai!"

 

The three left the room after waving goodbye to the rest of the team, leaving Raidō, Shizuka and Shun in the room.

 

The older man simply flopped back into his bed, his hands under his head as he stared upwards towards the bunk on top of his where he had a list of his rotations stuck onto the wood.

 

"Are you two done for the day?"

 

"Hai, I don't have any rotations until after my first mission." Shun replied as he tucked his bag into the small empty trunk under Hakui's bed. "What should I expect as the first mission on this team?"

 

"This team is specialised in infiltration and information gathering, but we do have a track record of progressing into assassinations." Shizuka supplied as she stepped onto the ladder up to her bed to check her own schedule. "Do you have Hokage guard tomorrow afternoon to night, Grizzly?"

 

"Hai, you with me? Genma-kun will be there too." Shizuka didn't have to see the man's face to know he was smirking, the smug tone of voice said everything she needed to know.

 

"Unfortunately." Shizuka grumbled and then stepped back down to the floor and turned to Shun. "The first mission trial run is merely a formality to test our teamwork and efficiency in uncontrollable situations, so I wouldn't wprry too much about it."

 

"I disagree! You've probably been on missions with Chip before, so you know things often go unpredictable." Raidō teased. "But she is right that it is merely a formality. We have enough experience on this team that we can tell whether you'll be a good fit or not based on what we see in training and the trials."

 

"True. You will also have Stag, Taichō or Grizzly here in each new rotation you try. They are the senior members of the team and technically our supervisors. During missions at least one of them will be present."

 

"That is reasonable." Shun nodded and moved towards the door. "In that case, I'll head home. I'll see you both in three days.

 

"Wait, I'll walk with you. I want to check no new paperwork arrived for me at Intel." Shizuka followed behind the newest member of the team and moved to put her mask on as she left the room "See you tomorrow, Grizzly."

 

"Until tomorrow, Chip. See you sometime, Shun."

 

Shizuka waved over her shoulder and closed the door behind her, falling into step with Shun as they made their way out of headquarters.

 

"Does he give nicknames to everyone or just you?" Shun asked as they left the dormitory area of the headquarters and into the more public spaces.

 

"Everyone has a nickname, but on missions, I'm the only one to be called by mine. And mine is the only one related to my mask, all the others' have random stories related to their nicknames."

 

"Speaking of masks, do you know what Kaito's mask is?"

 

"Hai, it's Hyena." Shizuka snorted, "His laughing stunt left an impression on the observers."

 

"You mean you recommended the mask."

 

Shizuka didn't voice an answer but her silence was a good enough answer.

 

"And what would his nickname be, then? I assume you won't stop at that."

 

"I may or may not have told all the ANBU I know to call him chuckles."

 

Shun huffed a laugh and shook his head as they finally left the building and into the quiet backstreet of Konoha.

 

"Alright. I'll see you around, Mantis." Shizuka waved as she made her way to the intelligence building, while Shun waved back and took to the roofs to go to the Aburame compound.

 

Shizuka sighed as she moved into the building and sneaking into her office through the window. She clipped her mask to her belt and moved to her desk where a brand-new pile of reports was neatly stacked, eyeing it with distaste.

 

' _Time to get to work.'_


	32. Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /AN\
> 
> Hey!
> 
> This is a short chapter, sorry! But I am posting this chapter a bit early. If I get a good head start on chapter 34, I might post the next chapter on Sunday. :D
> 
> Here's a question for you:
> 
> Is there any conversation you would definitely like to see? It can be one that already happened or one to happen sometime in the future. For example, Genma asking Chōza for help or Gai pestering Genma to meet Shizuka.
> 
> Thanks! And Enjoy!
> 
> xx
> 
> SC

"Speaking."

' _Thinking'_

_**Jutsus** _

* * *

 

 

"Tadaima!" Shizuka called as she returned home one late morning after a late night and early morning shift of guard duty.

 

"Okaeri, Shizuka-Nee!" Ino greeted as she walked into the hall. "I haven't seen you in a while!"

 

"Sorry, Ino-chan." Shizuka finished pulling off her boots and moved towards the blond to ruffle her hair, earning an annoyed squawk as the younger girl swatted at her hand. "I was away on a mission for a month and then left almost immediately to another week-long mission."

 

"That sucks. Welcome back, nee-chan." Shikamaru called from the couch as they entered the living room.

 

"Hi Shikakun, Chōji-kun! Shouldn't you three be off training with your Jōnin sensei?"

 

"We are meeting in an hour here to train in the backyard." Ino answered once all Shikamaru did was shrug and slump further into the cushions.

 

"So formation training. Have fun with that." Shizuka grinned before she focused on the Yamanaka who was still standing by her side. "So, Ino-chan, since you have the time, do you want to help me choose an outfit for my date tonight?"

 

Ino's head snapped up to her and her eyes widened with excitement, a grin slowly spreading from ear to ear. The Nara almost regretted asking but didn't have much time to react otherwise as the younger girl grabbed her wrist and started pulling her in the direction of her room.

 

"Is it with Genma-San? Where are you going? What do you plan on doing with your hair? Does Shikaku-Oji know?"

 

Shizuka chuckled as the young girl started listing off questions, while Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at her and Chōji just watched with wide eyes while munching on some chips.

 

"Yes, it's with Genma. We are just going to the sushi restaurant across the street from the barbeque place. Haven't thought about anything for tonight yet." Shizuka snorted as Ino sent her a dry look.

 

"Then at least tell me it's not the first date! You must have already planned what you are going to wear for your first date."

 

"Ah… Well, you see… It kind of is? We've been out together before, but we always had other people along, but it will be just us this time."

 

"Shizuka-nee!" Ino whines as she pushed her onto the bed and then rushed to the closet. "Don't worry, I will make sure you look your best."

 

' _Is it possible to dread this more than telling Tō-san?"_

 

* * *

 

Luckily for her, Ino was very effective in coordinating outfits and that hadn't taken too long to be solved. On the other hand, Shizuka was fairly certain she was watching the future head of Interrogation division because the girl was insistent and could read body language like it as easy as breathing.

 

Another bonus to the whole thing is that once the hour was up, Shikamaru came to get Ino to start training thus releasing her from the interrogation.

 

Once the Genin left to the backyard, Shizuka decided to have a shower and go out for lunch since her mother was out meeting some friends. Once in her usual clothing, she moved to the backyard to wave goodbye at her brother's team, who spared her a wave before they returned to their training.

 

In a few minutes, she found herself walking down the main road considering her options for lunch.

 

"Isn't that Shizuka-chan?" A woman's voice reached her ears from the outdoor seating of the tea shop.

 

Turning to where the sound had come from she easily spotted the source.

 

"Shiranui-San, Genma, good afternoon." She offered a smile at the Tokujō and his mother who seemed to be enjoying some dango and tea.

 

"Shizuka, good to see you." Genma smiled as she stopped on the other side of the little fence separating the seating area from the crowds.

 

"Why don't you join us, dear? Genma was just telling me he is taking you out tonight."

 

"Ka-San…" Genma shot his mother a look, but the woman just ignored him.

 

"It's alright, Shiranui-San, I was just going to grab something to go for the office."

 

"Oh, all the more reason for you to join us. Please join us, we were just served."

 

Shizuka looked at Genma who just shrugged, a small exasperated smile playing on his lip.

 

"If you are sure…" Shizuka smiled and moved around the fence to join them, sitting next to Genma, who had waved down a waiter to get her order.

 

"Could I have the special and a green tea, please. Thank you." Shizuka smiled as she waved away the menu the man had been offering her.

 

"Come here often, Shizuka-chan?"

 

"Hai, it's close and fast for the busy days at the office."

 

"Funny, that is what Genma tells me too for when he has guard duty." The woman had light brown hair, almost a dirty blond and warm chocolate eyes, overall Genma looked quite a bit like his mother.

 

Genma and Shizuka didn't reply to her comment, but Shizuka could tell her cheeks were warming up and a glance at Genma from the corner of her eye told her he didn't miss the implications either.

 

"So, how often do you go out together? Genma makes it sound like you see each other every day." The blunt words made Shizuka pause before she sent the man a curious glance.

 

"We share a couple of rotations together, so we end up grabbing lunch every now and then." Genma jumped in sending Shizuka a look.

 

"And we have several friends in common, so we end up seeing each other when we go out with them." Shizuka completed, her hand reaching for the green tea that was served.

 

"Hmm, I see." Her eyes twinkled in amusement as the two shinobi sent each other a look. "Perhaps you both could join me for dinner at home one of these days.

 

"Ka-San." Genma sighed and looked over to Shizuka who gave him a small smile. "Alright, Shizuka and I are going on a border patrol in a couple of days, how about the day we get back? So two weeks from today?"

 

"Sounds wonderful!" Hikari clapped her hand and grinned as she started on the food in front of her now that they had all been served.

 

"I'll look forward to it, Shiranui-San." Shizuka smiled brightly as she too started eating.

 

"Oh, none of that dear, you may call me Hikari."

 

Shizuka smiled again and nodded in acquiescence glancing at Genma from the corner of her eye as he gave her hand a squeeze under the table.

 

Her quick lunch had turned out to be much longer than what she expected, but the whole encounter was too pleasant to rush through. Genma's mother may have been a civilian but the woman worked as a nurse in the hospital, though she mainly worked on the paediatric floor now instead of the shinobi floors.

 

The trio spent over an hour eating and talking, Hikari had been more than willing in supplying stories of Genma's childhood often bring the two women to laughter as Genma just huffed and pretended to be annoyed, while both women knew deep down he was enjoying the quiet moment.

 

"I had a lovely time, dear, we should have tea more often." Hizari gave Shizuka a tight hug, "I expect you to let me know how tonight goes. Kami knows this one give me single worded answers to anything I ask."

 

"Of course, Hikari-San. In case I don't see you until our dinner when we get back from our patrol, I'll tell you then."

 

"Wonderful. Now off you two go." Hikari stepped away from her and waved them off.

 

"But-"

 

"No, go walk her to the office. I still have to shop for dinner anyways."

 

"Alright, Ka-San. I'll have dinner with you the night before I leave." Genma leaned down to press a kiss to his mother's cheek and then turned to Shizuka offering her his arm.

 

"Have a good afternoon, Hikari-San." Shizuka smiled and ducked her head slightly before taking Genma's offered arm.

 

Genma and Shizuka walked slowly down the main street neither in a rush to reach their destination.

 

"Your mother is wonderful." Shizuka smiled up at him.

 

"She likes you. Not like that's much of a surprise."

 

"Well, all that is left is you meeting my father in a non-professional setting." Shizuka tugged his arm causing him to lower his head. "How about dinner at mine tomorrow?"

 

"Are you-"

 

"Oh, it's perfect! You'll be away from the village for a while after and it's so last notice that you won't have time to panic."

 

"Shizuka…"

 

"Please." Shizuka widened her eyes and bit her lower lip offering him a hopeful smile.

 

"Alright." Genma sighed as they reached the Intelligence division building. "I'll see you tonight."

 

He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, smiling at her when she gave him a bright grin and stood on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek too.

 

"See you." Shizuka reached into his weapons pouch and handed him a senbon, which he promptly stook back into his mouth.

 

"Well wasn't that an adorable display." Inoichi called from where he was leaning on the reception desk staring at where Shizuka and Genma had been a moment before.

 

"Inoichi-Oji, good afternoon." Shizuka smiled and stepped to his side and gave the receptionist a smile. "Were you waiting for someone?"

 

"You, actually. Ibiki requested a meeting for when you arrived. I sent a message up to him when you arrived at the building."

 

"Mind Map room then?"

 

"Yes, he wanted to go over the findings from your last mission."

 

"Did you get my report from the Spectrum?"

 

"Ah yes, your new contacts." Inoichi sent her an interested glance. "All you said is that you're enlisting them as a confidential information source. And requested a basic sweep of information on them."

 

"And…" Shizuka gave him an expectant look.

 

"They are clear from the sources we have. They smuggle orphans out of conflict areas and food across borders to feed the areas that don't receive as much food because of said conflicts. They are a viable source."

 

"Then I can contact them." Shizuka grinned and opened the door to her room, finding Ibiki already reading through the newest set of papers pinned to the wall. "Ah, Ibiki-San, good afternoon."

 

"Good afternoon." Ibiki turned to look at the two new arrivals before he gestured over to the papers he had been examining. "Could you go over these? You seem to have made some weird connections."

 

"Ah yes, the red strings." Shizuka sighed as she plucked the red string linking her latest mission report to a separate task force. "There is something going on in the Land of Rice fields. Their damiyō has all but disappeared from the political scene, they have a very closed-off relation to all other countries. And yet the supplies that are being sold off to an unknown party is in that area."

 

"So you are speculating that something is brewing there." Inoichi pointed out as he moved to inspect the notes she had made.

 

"Hai. Well, we know for sure something is up." Shizuka gestured to the task force made specifically for the Country of Rice Fields. "We have confirmed reports of shinobi activity and now merchants are selling unknown good there too."

 

"It sounds like a good starting point for your new contacts." Inoichi commented as he looked at the Nara over his shoulder.

 

"Ah yes, the Spectrum." Ibiki muttered. "Watch out for them, Nara. We have never had contact with them, we can't take their word blindly."

 

"I know. I was planning on giving them jobs to confirm things we already know, and learn more about them before asking them to do anything on a large scale."

 

"As long as use caution, I believe they have potential to be a force to be reckoned with." Inoichi nodded.

 

"So, how do we go about checking if all of this is connected?" Shizuka tugged at the red string once again.

 

"We will dispatch a couple of squads, do you have any areas of suspicion?" Inoichi replied as he moved to the map on the opposite wall from where they had been looking.

 

"I can mark them on a map and send a report with surmised data if you wish." Ibiki nodded at her suggestion and then she continued. "My ANBU squad should be available, although Stag and I are both off the rota at the moment."

 

"Yes, it would be a good match, especially since they are familiar with parts of the case already. It should also be simple enough that it will be a good experience for the newbie on the team." Ibiki hummed before he nodded towards the files on her desk. "Report on the prisoner brought in two days ago. Might have some things of interest."

 

"Ah, I'll have a look now." Shizuka nodded as she picked the folder up as the two men made their way to the door. "I shall have the report ready for tomorrow afternoon."

 

Ibiki grunted and Inoichi waved as they left, leaving her two her mind maps and notes.

 

Despite her growing excitement for her date later that day, Shizuka focused hard on her work to ensure she would make it home with enough time to get ready properly.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, she opens the door to see Genma with a simple bouquet of light pink flowers. He wore dark pants and plain grey long sleeves having switched out of his usual uniform.

 

"These are for you." He gave her the flowers, planting a kiss on her cheek as she gently took It from him. "I promise they are safe to smell."

 

She narrowed her eyes at his cheeky smile and then rolled her eyes, pressing her nose into the flowers inhaling the sweet aroma. While she was momentarily surprised that he had chosen her favourite flowers, but then immediately jumped to the conclusion either Ino, Akira or Inoichi had done some meddling.

 

"They are lovely, thank you. Why don't you come in while I put these in a vase?" She stepped into the house, moving to the kitchen where her mother was cooking dinner. She filled a vase with water and put the flowers inside, setting them on the counter. "Ka-san, could you put these in my room, please? We have reservations and I don't want to be late."

 

"Dahlia flowers, huh? Looks like Akira will have some gossip for me." Yoshino teased. "Go enjoy your date."

 

Shizuka walked back out to the entrance hall where Genma was standing in looking at the pictures on the shelf beside the door.

 

"You were a cute kid." He pointed to a picture of Shizuka sitting between her parents in a barbeque house, a small spot of sauce on her cheek.

 

"Thanks. Be glad the picture of me discovering wasabi was 'lost', trust me I wasn't so cute then." She smiled, taking the hand he had offered as they moved out of the house and the compound.

 

"They managed to capture the moment exactly?"

 

"My parents had discovered about my curiosity leading to  _interesting_ situations and it became standard to have a camera nearby. The wasabi incident was at a dinner at the Akimichi's when I got some on the tip of my chopsticks, and they took a picture the moment the heat hit." She grimaced causing Genma to chuckle.

 

"Never a dull moment with you."

 

"Wouldn't have it any other way. Life would be too boring!" She smiled up at him.

 

"Nor would I." He kissed her forehead as they moved away from the pictures and towards the door so that they could leave.

 

The weather was rather pleasant outside, there was no wind and the temperatures were just enough to go outside without a jacket. The couple linked their arms as they made their way out of the Nara compound.

 

"So, why are Dahlia flowers your favourite?"

 

"Did Akira-Oba-San not give you the meaning?"

 

"Honestly, her grin and the glint of her eyes just made me want to get out of there." Genma teased as he nudged his shoulder against hers. "Not even your mother was so bad that day I stayed for lunch."

 

"She lives amongst the Yamanaka. She knows how to read people much too easily for comfort."

 

"So, chocolate next time?"

 

"Akimichi owned shop." Shizuka teased before she smiled up at him. "And you're already planning the next date?"

 

"I like being prepared."

 

They stared at each other for a few moments before dissolving into laughter.

 

"Speaking of next time. Anything I should be prepared for dinner tomorrow?"

 

"You'll be fine! Tō-San is just too protective, but he'll get over it eventually. At least you won't have to meet him  _and_ Daichi-Oji at the same time."

 

Genma gave her a raised eyebrow look as they entered the main road.

 

"You didn't answer my initial question. The flowers, what do they mean?"

 

"Pink Dahlias represent kindness and grace, but Dahlias can mean staying adventurous and relaxed as well as honesty. There are a couple of bushes of them in the Nara forest, it reminds me of home."

 

"Staying adventurous and relaxed. Makes sense. Have you ever actually used ikebana on a mission?"

 

"No, but I suppose it could be useful in some very specific situations."

 

Genma hummed and then moved to hold open the door of the restaurant for her to walk through.

 

"Good evening, do you have a reservation?" A young woman asked as they stepped inside.

 

"Hai, Shiranui Genma, table for two."

 

"Ah, yes, please follow me." The woman plucked to menus from a small table off to the side and led them through the main room that seemed to be rather full and sat them at a booth in the corner of the room. "Have you been here before?"

 

"Hai, thank you." Genma pushed Shizuka's chair in and sat across from her, shrugging at her raised eyebrows. "Could we have some water and green tea to start?"

 

"Oh and some edamame please." Shizuka smiled brightly at the woman who noted it down and left to place their request. "So, you've been talking to Chōza-Oji."

 

"What makes you say that?"

 

"This Akimichi restaurant needs to be booked months in advance, and you only invited me here two days ago."

 

"He may have asked his cousin for a favour." Genma sighed and he gave her a sheepish grin when she just nodded with a knowing grin. "And I may have asked for your father's favourite sake."

 

Shizuka dissolved into giggles, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

 

"Oh, I  _have_ to ask him about that."

 

"What makes you think he will tell you about our private conversations?"

 

"He's my godfather." Shizuka raised one finger as if to count her reasons and then she raised the next one. "He's unable to resist puppy eyes.  _And_ if Miku-Oba-San heard  _she_ will definitely tell me."

 

Genma shook his head in amusement, his eyes crinkling at the corner as he smiled.

 

"Fine, you win." He leaned back as the waitress placed their drinks and edamame on the table. "Shall we go for the traditional southern combo to share?"

 

"Sounds perfect." Shizuka nodded, waiting until the waitress left before she leaned forward. "You neglected to tell me you asked for my favourite order at this particular restaurant."

 

"As I said, I enjoy being prepared." Genma leaned forward, one of his hands reaching forward, Shizuka kept herself from looking down and kept eye contact with his warm eyes. Only to release a breath as he simply bit into an edamame pod, his lips twitching into a smirk.

 

' _Oh, game on.'_ Shizuka grinned back as she picked a pod up for herself, chewing slowly as she considered her next move.


End file.
